


The Lion and the Leopard

by MissFirefly



Series: The Lion [1]
Category: Kung Fu Panda (Movies)
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-30 02:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 73,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20806739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFirefly/pseuds/MissFirefly
Summary: Leo Lung is an asian lion. He lives in the Jade Palace and is a Kung Fu Master. He is apprenticed by Shifu, and a mentor to Tigress. Also, his brother is a criminal. Leo was raised alongside Tai Lung. When Tai Lung is sent to prison, Leo defies Shifu's direct orders and visits his brother one last time. What happens when he returns home?ORShifu has a bad habit of adopting dangerous cats.





	1. Prologue

In any other circumstance, Lea would have loved to take her two young cubs on a moonlight walk through the mountains of China. The views were spectacular and the fresh, crisp, cool air was a great break from the stale air she breathed in the building where she had lived. But in fact, the circumstances were very different. She could feel the terror pumping in her veins.

Two months ago, Lea had fled from her native lands to escape her abusive husband, hoping for a better life in China. There she had met a kind snow leopardess who took her in. There, the lioness had lived with the snow leopardess and her own son, who was about half a year old. However, a disease had struck down the poor leopard, leaving only Lea and the two children.

Then, to make the lioness' situation worse, her husband had tracked her down and was bent on bringing her back to their native lands. Lea had gathered up snow leopard cub and the lion cub, wrapping them up in purple and green bundles (respectively), and fled without looking back.

Thunder boomed behind her. One of the cubs, the lion, squeaked and twitched in his sleep. Lea slowed to a trot and slipped to hide behind a tree. She nuzzled him and hummed a soft tune, a lullaby that often put him to sleep. The cub purred quietly.

"Please hush now, little one." She murmured. Lea hopped from behind the tree and kept running, trying to maintain her balance while holding the cubs. They seemed to gain weight with each step she took.

"Get back here!" A large, booming voice cried out from the darkness behind her, "You lying, unfaithful cat! Get back here now!" More shouts came from that direction, splitting the night air like a sword. Lea choked back a sob and her tail curled in fear.

Lea ran quickly, and soon crested a mountain. Her eyes then lit up with hope. A building! The idea of warmth, safety, and comfort led Lea to run as fast as she could with the two cubs. Soon, she could be safe from the evil cats that hunted her down.

As she drew closer, she thought this particular building looked oddly familiar. Was this the Jade Palace she had seen in books and paintings? Lea gasped in relief. Kung Fu masters lived here! They could offer her protection! Lea ran up to the doorstep. She cautiously placed both of the young babes in one arm.

"Help! Please, help us!" She cried out, banging on the door. She looked over her shoulder and saw that her pursuers were starting to descend from the mountain towards her. Growing desperate and with only one option on her mind, Lea gently placed both of her little cubs on the doorstep. Lea pounded on the door desperately one more time and ran from the entrance.

Lea ran around the corner of the building and stood with her back to the wall. But she got little rest. An angry roar and pounding footsteps made her snap her attention towards the forest nearby. They were heading to the Jade Palace! Towards her cubs! Lea ran away from the large building and up the hill.

Before her chasers could spot her cubs, Lea gave a loud, angry snarl. She heard the footsteps stop and that shouts subsided quickly as the leader of the group ordered everyone to be quiet. The male lions pursuing her swiveled their ears, trying to figure out where the sound came from. The golden lioness opened her mouth and shouted the name of the ringleader of the cats, her terrible husband,

"JIAN!"

"There she is! Up there!" More roars came in response and the group of angry cats charged, "Let's get her!" Jian shouted. Lea inhaled and fled to the top of the hill, having to resort to running on four paws to climb the steep mountain.

Just before Lea crested the mountain top and disappeared into the forest, she cast one last glance at her cubs, who were mere specks at the doorstep of the Palace. Someone was with them! The animal picked up one of the cubs while another one picked up the second one. Her cubs were safe!

Lea's attention to her cubs was broken as a vicious snarl came from below her. The ringleader of the lions, Jian, was right below her, only a few leaps away from her! Lea could see his claws gleam in the moonlight. Lea inhaled and ran off.

Her cubs were safe in the Jade Palace. They would learn to fight and defend themselves. They wouldn't live in fear of being killed by those they once trusted. Lea looked over her shoulder and saw that the vicious group of lions were still chasing her. Lea looked forward. Mountains lay ahead of her. Lea could see herself getting torn apart by the lions chasing her if she did not start running soon.

The lioness began to leap down the mountain. Going down the mountain was easier than scaling it, and the distance between her and her chasers began to slowly but surely grow. Lea's confidence grew. Maybe she would live to see tomorrow afternoon!

As she reached the valley, Lea turned and looked back to see how far she had made it. The lions were about halfway down the mountain. If she ran now, she could have a quick head start. Maybe she could even find a place to hide?

Lea glanced at the mountain range ahead of her. She had a long way to go. But, knowing her cubs were safe, she knew she could make it.

Shifu muttered to himself as he approached the entrance to the Jade Palace. His eye were half-lidded and his tail bushed in agitation.

He was meditating with his mentor, Master Oogway the Wise, when someone began pounding on the doors like there was no tomorrow. If it was some young hooligan causing trouble, the red panda would likely hang their pelt on the front gate. Shifu heaved the large doors open. The red panda glanced around. At first he saw nothing. His irritation grew, then he glanced at the ground.

Oh. Oh my Gods.

Shifu's eyes grew to the size of tea cups. He could not believe what he was seeing. Two little cubs lay bundled in blankets at the doorstep. One was a brownish gold asian lion wrapped in a green blanket with hints of golden fabric. The other was a silvery grey snow leopard darker spots in dark purple wrappings.

Shifu quickly called for a palace assistant. As the goose picked up the lion, Shifu gently took hold of the leopard. What was he going to do with these two cubs?

The red panda turned to reenter the palace when a flurry of roars sounded in the distance. Shifu's ears pricked up and he gazed into the dark that the cubs mother? Was she crying out to them one last time? Shifu was split on whether to carry the cubs inside or to find the animal that left these young children here.

Shifu shook his head. If the mother intended to leave her cubs here, then Shifu wouldn't press her decision. But he wondered what made her want to leave them so badly.

He turned and carried the snow leopard inside, while the goose carried in the lion cub,

"Master Shifu, if you don't mind me asking, what are you going to name them?" The goose asked, looking at the lion cub. Shifu furrowed his brow as he mulled over the goose's question. If he was going to adopt these cubs, or at least keep them here for the time being, he had to find out a name for them.

"Well, I have a feeling that they will grow to be powerful warriors. So I will name this one Tai Lung, and that one..Leo Lung." Shifu smiled. Yes, those would be suitable names.


	2. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Lung and Tai Lung are denied the Dragon Scroll, setting in motion a 20-year event

It was a beautiful morning in 15th Century China. The sun was just beginning to crest the mountains. In a large plain in the shadows of the mountains lay a snug little city. It was called the Valley of Peace, for it was always peaceful. In a large mountain overlooking the Valley of Peace lay a beautiful palace. In the palace lived not royalty or nobility, but Masters. Kung Fu Masters!

There were two masters living there. Grandmaster Oogway, an old tortoise who had the wisdom of every animal in China. He was hundreds of years old, and still going strong. Then there was Oogway's apprentice, Master Shifu, who was a small red panda who was quick and stubborn, but skilled nonetheless.

Then there were Shifu's two apprentices: Leo Lung and Tai Lung. Shifu had found them on the Palace doorsteps one evening, and had taken them in. Tai Lung was a powerful snow leopard who had a broad head and large muscles. He was sarcastic and snarky, but he was one of the strongest warriors in the Palace. His brother, Leo Lung, was an asiatic lion. Leo Lung had golden fur with well-toned muscles and brown mane that was just starting to grow in. Leo Lung, unlike Tai Lung, was mild-mannered and kind.

Now, the two teenaged apprentices were eating breakfast in the palace.

Leo Lung stared at his meal. He frowned as he examined his bowl of breakfast. The adolescent lion looked at the porridge-looking stuff. Leo then gazed at his older brother, Tai Lung, who was shoveling the porridge stuff in his mouth.

"How can you eat this?" Leo asked, gingerly placing a small portion of the oatmeal in his mouth.

"Well, I get a spoonful of it and put it in my mouth. Then I chew and swallow it." Tai Lung responded sarcastically after swallowing a spoonful.

"Leo Lung, you must eat to keep your strength." Master Shifu said as he entered the room, examining the asian lion. He pulled up a seat at the table and sat down across from the two brothers.

Leo sighed, shaking his growing mane and placed a small bit of the food in his mouth. Tai Lung looked at him, eyeing his mane in what looked like jealousy. Leo Lung kept a cool face, yet smirked on the inside. He knew that his brother wanted a mane like his.

As Shifu sat at the table, he looked at the two teenagers. The two brothers were only 18 years old.

"I want to talk to the both of you." Shifu said, waving the chef out so the three could have some privacy. The pig sighed and left the kitchen, but not before sliding a bowl of porridge in front of the red panda.

"Oogway has visited me this morning." The red panda said, gazing at his two sons. Leo Lung smiled, he loved Oogway. He was always kind to the adolescent lion, and helped Leo when he needed aid. He was like his grandfather; always there when he needed him.

"What did he say?" Tai Lung said, not exactly caring. The snow leopard absentmindedly stirred his spoon in his bowl.

"The universe has sent him a message. He is to chose a warrior." Shifu said, pride lacing his voice.

"A warrior?!" Both of the cats said in unison, their interest increasing tenfold. They both pricked their ears up, and fixed their eyes Shifu, eager to hear what he was to say next.

"Yes. The Dragon Warrior is to be chosen in three days time." Leo Lung smiled. This was going to be good!

"The Dragon Warrior.." Tai Lung breathed, his amber eyes glowing. "I have longed to know what is inside that scroll!" He growled.

"Yes..yes." Shifu said. "But I want you two to train harder to impress Oogway. Got it? You two may have to spar for him to display your strength." Shifu stated, a smile plastering his muzzle. Both of the large cats nodded their heads to their master. Shifu smiled and began to eat a small portion of food.

Three days later

Leo Lung sat in his room, meditating. Candles were lit, lighting up the room nicely. Today was the day Leo Lung and Tai Lung would present themselves to Oogway in hopes of becoming the Dragon Warrior.

The lion had tried to clear his mind, to meditate, but that proved hard for him. His mind kept going to Oogway, his brother, and his father. He was excited, no doubt, but he was kind of worried. The Dragon Warrior was the highest level of warrior; the most powerful of all masters. He would be able to hear a butterfly's wing beat. His ears twitched at the thought. Leo took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind.

The Asian Lion continued meditating until he heard his door slide open. Leo opened his golden eyes to see Master Shifu stood in the doorway, Tai Lung by his side. Both of them had huge smiles on their muzzles.

"Today is the day, Lung Brothers. Both of you warm up. Meet me downstairs in the courtyard when you are ready." He said. Shifu then turned and left, leaving Tai Lung with his brother.

"Are you nervous?" Leo asked, standing up to meet his older brother.

"Of course not!" Tai Lung said, turning to leave, "I was destined for this!" He snarled as he ran to go groom his fur one last time and practice his moves.

Leo Lung watched his older brother leave. He smirked at the Snow Leopard's confidence. He began to comb his unruly mane with a fancy, ivory comb. As he combed his mane, he grabbed a robe that Oogway had gotten him when he was younger. It was a golden and green robe with matching pants. When Oogway got it for him, it was too big. But now, several years later, they fit him like a glove.

As Leo Lung finished grooming, he got dressed and ran downstairs. Tai Lung and Shifu were waiting for him.

"What ever happens out there, I still love you two. I am so proud of you both." Shifu said, looking at the lion and snow leopard.

"We won't disappoint you master." Leo Lung smiled warmly at Shifu, his tail curling in anticipation.

"I am destined for this! Let's go." Tai Lung strode towards the gate. Shifu and Leo followed.

Oogway was waiting in the Hall of Sacred Warriors. He was sitting crosslegged, and looked to be meditating. Leo breathed nervously.

"Master Oogway. I present to you: my students, Tai Lung and Leo Lung." The three animals bowed to the tortoise. Oogway slowly, painstakingly slowly, stood and made his way towards the trio of animals. Oogway looked at the three of them, blinking slowly. Shifu took his place beside Master Oogway, his fur groomed and a proud smile on his face.

Leo Lung and Tai Lung stood side by side, grins on their muzzles and their fur well-groomed. They stood as straight as an arrow, their pride and excitement coming off in waves.

{This is so exciting! I know one of us will be the dragon warrior!} Leo Lung thought as he stood, proud as a peacock.

But that's when Oogway frowned and looked at Shifu. Oogway shook his head, and slowly turned and left.

"What..." Leo breathed. Tai Lung was frozen in shock, anger, and sadness. Shifu looked wordlessly at his two adopted sons, his eyes expressing his shock and sorrow.

"Master Oogway, you...you must be mistaken!" Leo Lung cried out to the tortoise.

"There are no mistakes, Leo Lung." He said. Then he left.

"I-I..." Shifu said, speechless.

{All those years of hard work...All that training...} Leo thought. Shifu wordlessly left, leaving Tai Lung and Leo Lung alone.

The moment Leo Lung arrived to his room, he slammed the door closed and roared in agony. He slammed his paws on the floor, tears streaming down his face and onto the wooden floor.

"Gods!" He roared again, clawing the floor. "Why why why why why?!" He cried out. Leo had trained for eighteen long, agonizing years for this! Only to have it denied.

Leo Lung slowly recomposed himself, breathing slowly. All he had to do was breathe. Maybe it was all a bad dream. {Just count to three. And I will wake up. Either me or Tai Lung will be the Dragon Warrior. {1...2...3...}

Leo Lung opened his eyes. He was still on his hands and knees, tears occasionally falling to the floor. And the Dragon Scroll belonged to no one.

Sitting back, Leo Lung began to silently cry. Why did Oogway not pick him? Was eighteen years of training not good enough? Suddenly he picked up foot steps, coming towards his room. Leo quickly wiped away his tears, breathing deeply to try and calm himself. When the figure knocked, he croaked out,

"Come in.."

Tai Lung quietly entered his room. His face was stern. But, when he took one look at his brother's face, and his face softened, ever so slightly.

"We deserve that title. I have a plan to make Oogway see that he made a mistake." He said, his voice hard, and his claws slightly unsheathed.

"Really?" Leo asked, lifting his tail slightly. Hope began to fill Leo's body

"Yes. I am going to destroy the Valley of Peace. And you are going to help me." Tai Lung said, a malicious smirk on his broad face. The snow leopard's tone was cocky- as if Leo Lung had no choice. Leo, however, thought otherwise.

"What?!" The asian lion gasped, recoiling away from the snow leopard, "Tai Lung, no! Don't do that!" Leo said in a hushed tone, almost as if he was afraid that some one would hear.

"You can't stop me. Will you join me?" Tai Lung held out his paw. If Leo took it, who knew what the consequences would be.

"I..." Leo thought for a moment. A small fraction of his brain told him to join his brother. To make Oogway realize what a horrible mistake he's made. They could take the scroll by force, and become the most powerful duo in all of China. However, Leo shook his head sadly.

"No. I can't do this. Violence is not always the first answer." Leo Lung said, standing up. Leo Lung may be the younger brother, but he was taller than Tai Lung. He glared at the snow leopard,

"Get out of my room." He snarled. Tai Lung looked shocked for a moment. He was used to pushing around his brother, but now Leo put his foot down. Tai took a step back, chuckling,

"I figured you would say that. Such a goodie-two-paws." With that, Tai Lung lunged at his brother. Caught by surprise, Leo Lung raised his paws to defend himself, and sidestepped to avoid the attack.

But Tai Lung was too quick. He grabbed the scruff of Leo's mane and threw him to the floor. Leo yelped at the sudden attack, but quickly hopped back up to his feet. The snow leopard wasted no time, and slammed his paw into the lion's chest, hitting his nerve points and effectively paralyzing him. Leo gasped and fell to the floor. His muscles locked. He couldn't do anything. He could barely even breathe.

The snow leopard chuckled, staring at his brother.

{You won't get away with this!} Leo Lung growled in his mind.

"Let's see, where can I put you where no one will ever find you?" Tai Lung asked himself, looking around. Horror pumped itself into Leo Lung's veins, and he desperately tried to remember the formula that Shifu had taught them when they were younger.

Tai Lung picked him up, grunting as he tried to hold the lion, and stealthily carried him towards a window. {No no no nononononono!} Leo thought as they neared the window.

Without a single hint of remorse or guilt, Tai Lung shoved his brother out the window, at least 2 stories up.

Leo Lung's paralyzed heart flew into his throat. He felt the wind running through his mane, and he prayed to the gods that he would have a quick demise. But suddenly his left shoulder erupted with pain, and his fall was broken somewhat. He had been caught by an ironwood tree! But the branch didn't stop his fall altogether. Gravity took over, and Leo fell the rest of the 7 feet to the ground. Leo wanted to roar out in pain, but he couldn't.

He could only wait.


	3. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Lung and Tai Lung are denied the Dragon Scroll, setting in motion a 20-year event

Leo Lung's body had been frozen, paralyzed in fear, for what seemed like hours. His mind was blank. He couldn't call for help, and anytime he tried to open his mouth, it felt like he was trying to move the largest mountain. He was strong, but Tai Lung was stronger..

The asian lion felt like giving in. After about an hour, he finally gave up that no one was going to find him. {I'm as good as dead. No one ever comes back around here...}

Suddenly he heard an explosion. Leo wanted to flinch in surprise, but his body was locked. But he could still hear and see. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw the Valley of Peace. One of the building was collapsing. {No!} He though in horror. Tai Lung wasn't lying. He heard the screams of the villagers. Leo Lung wanted so desperately to help them. But he couldn't do anything.

"Leo Lung!" He heard someone call his name. "Leo Lung! Where are you?" It was Shifu! Leo Lung wanted to roar, 'Here I am, help me!' But he couldn't move.

Evantually, about 3 minutes later, Shifu rounded the corner, his eyes wild as he searched for his son. His eyes landed on Leo's paralyzed form. He gasped and ran over, examining him. His paws landed on his chest in a complex form of taps, freeing him of paralysis.

"Leo Lung!" He said, his voice slightly panicked, "What is going on?!"

"It's Tai Lung.." Leo Lung said, standing up and looking towards the Valley. He clutched his injured shoulder. The villagers were still screaming, and suddenly there was another explosion, coming from a different building. Leo Lung winced, and continued speaking, "He's mad. He wanted the Dragon Scroll." He said, looking at Shifu. One of the buildings collapsed.

"We must defend the Dragon Scroll. Go warn Master Oogway.." He muttered. Then the red panda took off running towards the Hall of Warriors, where the Dragon Scroll resided.

Leo Lung took off towards the Cherry Tree on top of the Mountain where the tortoise usually spent his time meditating. His heart thudded in his ears. As he began ascending the mountain, he saw the Oogway was also making his way down. Skidding to a stop, Leo Lung looked at Oogway, his eyes wild,

"Tai Lung..." Leo Lung gasped for air, "He is attacking the Valley...We must defend the Dragon Scroll!" Before the tortoise could say anything, Leo picked up Master Oogway and ran back to the Hall of Warriors.

"You needn't have to carry me.." Oogway said as Leo ran back to the Hall of Warriors. The lion ignored him. He ran inside the building and ran to the Dragon scroll. Shifu was waiting.

Another explosion rang out, along with the screams of the villagers.

"We need to go help them!" Leo Lung said, looking at Shifu and Oogway.

"No! You'll be -" Shifu said, his eyes wide and slightly panicked. He seemed to know that Tai Lung was stronger than Leo Lung.

"People are dying, Master! I can't live knowing that Tai Lung, my brother, is causing this! Someone has to help." He said, trailing off towards the end. Leo Lung turned to the door and began running towards the Valley. Suddenly the door exploded inwards. Leo Lung skidded to a stop. If he had been 2 inches to the left, he would have been impaled by a door shard.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Tai Lung leapt through the opening, only to be stopped by the asian lion.

"Hello, Brother. I see you have recovered from your paralysis." He said, false sweetness lacing his voice. Leo Lung glared at him, his mane bristling.

"Get out of here, Tai Lung. I know why you're here."

"Do you?!" He asked, feigning surprise. Leo growled. Tai Lung chuckled.

"Well, I paralyzed you once, it can happen again!"

With that, the two brother began battling. Tai Lung barraged the lion with attacks, and Leo had to either dodge the attacks, block them, or receive them. Leo Lung tried to slip a punch or kick in there, but the snow leopard was ferocious and relentless.

Leo Lung's shoulder was screaming with pain, but he discarded it. He had to defend the Dragon Scroll. As Tai Lung tried to land a nasty blow to his head, Leo Lung ducked out of the way and launched his own array of attacks.

As the lion began his own array of attacks, Tai Lung tried to dodge and counter. But when the pain in Leo Lung's shoulder caused the lion to hesitate, Tai Lung took the advantage. Tai Lung pinned Leo against one of the columns. Leo Lung tried to push him off, the snow leopard clamped a large paw around his throat. Leo Lung gasped. His mane was supposed to protect him, and keep him safe. But Tai Lung was strong, pushing through the thick, course fur and clamping his paw around his throat. Leo opened his mouth, trying to get an ounce of air, clawing at the massive claws digging into his throat.

Shifu watched in horror has his two sons fought to what seemed like the death. As Leo Lung tried to defend against his savage brother, Shifu seemed to know who was going to win.

"I need to stop them..Tai Lung will kill him." He said as Tai Lung held a choke hold on Leo.

Before Oogway had a chance to stop him, Shifu ran to Leo Lung's aid. Tai Lung saw Shifu coming and threw the lion to the ground. Leo Lung gasped for air, clutching his throat.

Both Shifu and Tai Lung charged at each other. Shifu was about to deliver a fierce, knock-out kick to Tai Lung's face. But he hesitated. How could he destroy him? He loved Tai Lung...

Tai Lung, sensing his master's hesitation, took the advantage. He delivered a nasty knife-hand, crushing his hips and pushing him to the floor.

Tai Lung ran towards the Dragon Scroll. Nothing could stand between him and his destiny!

But Oogway thought otherwise. He leapt into the air, pushing his claws into the cats chest and paralyzing him. The snow leopard fell to the floor, paralyzed and unconscious. Shifu crawled to Tai Lung, and Leo Lung joined him,

"I'm sorry.." Leo Lung whispered.

"It's not your fault." Shifu said quietly, placing a small paw on Tai Lung's muzzle. Oogway watched, a sullen look on his face.

"I should have known he would do this." Leo said. "I knew he was angry."

"It's not your fault, Leo Lung." Shifu repeated, looking at Leo Lung.

"But I could have prevented it. I could have stopped this!" The lion said, his voice cracking and tears threatening to spill over his eyes as he held his aching shoulder, which was bleeding now.. Shifu turned to comfort the lion, but Leo backed away.

"Leo..! Come back!" He ran after Leo, but stopped. Oogway walked up to him slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Shifu pushed him off.

Leo Lung ran and ran. Tears streaked down his muzzle, blurring his vision. He could hear Shifu trying to chase him down, but he stopped after he left the Hall of Warriors. Eventually, as he ran, his legs took him to his room. He removed his paw from his shoulder, and sobbed at the sight of blood on his paw.

His shoulder hurt so bad, but he didn't want to go outside his room. He didn't know what happened to Tai Lung. And he didn't want to know. In all honesty, he liked it when he didn't know.


	4. Runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Lung wants to see Tai Lung one last time.

Leo Lung lay down on his cot bed, sobbing. His life felt like it was falling apart. His shoulder hurt like fire, his brother was evil, none of them were the Dragon Warrior, and, to add to all of that, the Valley of Peace was destroyed.

Leo heard his door slide open. He looked and saw it was Master Shifu, his face fallen.

"Where...Where is Tai Lung?" Leo Lung asked, wiping his eyes.

"He was taken away. They are building a prison in the East Mountains for him. Chor-Ghom prison." The red panda said. Leo frowned. Even though his brother destroyed half of the Valley of Peace, paralyzed him and broke his arm, crippled Master Shifu, and almost stole the Dragon Scroll, he still had a feeling that he didn't want his brother to go to prison.

"I should have kept a better eye on him." Leo said, looking at his wounded shoulder, wincing as he ran his calloused paw over it.

"It is NOT your fault, Leo Lung, don't you dare tell yourself that." Shifu scolded him. "None of us could have predicted this, Tai Lung is on his way to prison and that is the way it's going to be!"

The lion winced as his master reprimanded him. Leo Lung sighed and ran his good paw through his mane, which was clumped and had some missing patches of fur thanks to Tai Lung.

Shifu frowned, sitting next to the large lion on his bed. He spoke again, softer this time,

"He is going to Chor-Ghom prison for life. I've hired the Anvil From Heaven to guard him."

"Anvil From Heaven?" Leo Lung sat up, sniffling, "What's that?"

"One thousand heavily armed rhinos. They are building the prison in such a way, putting the guards in such stations and position that Tai Lung will not be able to escape. This is never happen again."

"Are you sure? Tai Lung is much stronger than you think." Leo Lung looked at Shifu.

"I am pretty sure. But they are taking extra precautions to keep him there."

"Extra...precautions?"

"They didn't want to... to tell me anything." Shifu said, looking at his paws.

"Oh." Leo Lung responded. "I want to go visit him." He said, his mane ruffled a bit.

"No." Shifu said, his voice stern. "You won't see him. Is that understood?"

"I really want to see him. I still f-"

"I don't want you getting hurt!" Shifu said, slipping off of his bed and facing the lion, "You will die if you see that mon...if you see Tai Lung." He quickly corrected himself.

Leo Lung nodded silently. With that, the red panda left his room, limping heavily.

"You should get your shoulder checked out." He said before he left.

The room was silent. Leo mulled over Shifu's words. Reluctantly, Leo Lung stood and left his room. He headed towards the infirmary.

Two nights later

It was around midnight. The Jade Palace was extremely quiet, and moonlight seeped into the hallways and rooms. The staff was asleep, and Master Shifu was meditating in his room. Oogway was at the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Leo Lung, on the other paw, was wide awake.

The lion knew that he had to see he brother one last time. Tonight was a full moon. If he did not leave now, he may never be able to gather his courage to escape. So the lion began packing for his journey.

Leo Lung slowly snuck into the kitchen. A bandage wrapped around his shoulder and he was carrying a bag with a change of clothes and his comb in it. Leo quietly opened a cabinet and grabbed some boxes and containers of food.

He was going to visit Tai Lung. After doing some research and questioning Shifu and the staff, he knew that Chor-Ghom prison was in the East Mountains, about a 3 days travel, there and back. He packed his clothes accordingly, and was now getting some food to keep him fed. He had already left a note for Shifu that he was going to visit his brother.

Leo Lung began placing the food carefully in his bag, and was keeping an eye out for any lingering staff or- Gods forbid- Shifu or Oogway. He wanted to go back to bed, but he wanted to at least see his brother one last time.

As the asian lion closed his bag and quickly hurried towards the entrance. His night vision helped him make sharp turns and, in one case, quickly hide in a closet when a late-night maintenance worker walked, or waddled, for it was a goose, by.

Leo Lung was about to open the gates and leave the Jade Palace, when suddenly he bumped into none other than Master Oogway himself. His heart caught in his throat and he quickly began whipping up an excuse.

"Leo, what are you doing awake?" The tortoise asked.

"I...I.." The lion stammered for something to say, cursing mentally as his mind seemed to go blank.

"You desire to see your brother." Oogway said mystically.

"How did you know?" Leo Lung asked, awed by the tortoise's all-knowing mind.

"I know when you are in distress." Oogway said, looking up at him. "Shifu will be incredibly worried."

"I know, I know! But..they are putting him away for life! I..I just want to see him one more time. I'll be back in three days. I'll come straight home, I promise. Please, please don't tell Shifu." Leo begged, quickly moving around Oogway and strapping the bag to his back.

Then, leaving the tortoise behind, he ran on all four legs to the east mountains, towards Chor-Ghom prison. Away from home. Towards Tai Lung.


	5. Behold, Tai Lung

Leo Lung trekked through the mountains, his mane fluffed up against the cold. He was about 12 hours into his journey. He would get there tomorrow morning if he walked all night, but Leo Lung's paws were starting to hurt.

As the lion walked along a beaten down, rocky path, he scanned for a nearby cave, overhang, or any kind shelter that he could use to sleep in.

Thunder boomed in the distance. Leo sighed, and just as he rounded part of the mountain, he found a large cave. He ran inside, immediately sniffing around to try and see if there were any residents. Luckily, the cave just smelled old, with no current animals living there.

Just as Leo had run into the cave, rain started pouring outside, catching part of Leo Lung's tail, making him recoil in disgust. He hated rain.

Leo Lung began setting up his 'camp'. As he examined the cave, he knew he would use this cave when he was making his return trip. He unpacked his bag, which had a few candles, a rolled up sleeping mat, and the food he packed. He was able to light the candles with a trick Master Shifu taught him.

{Master Shifu...} Leo Lung thought about the red panda who had raised him and Tai Lung. He was probably freaking out, turning the entire Jade Palace upside down, searching for him. The lion instantly felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He suddenly missed home, and wanted to head back, but he couldn't, at least not in this storm.

{I will visit Tai Lung, then I will return straight home.} He thought to himself, nodding. Leo yawned and lay down on the sleeping mat. He hated rain, but the constant pitter-patter helped drown out any other mountain noises that would try to keep him awake. Evantually, Leo Lung nodded off.

Leo woke up next day with an ache in his back and his shoulder aching...again. He instantly winced, curling into a fetal position as he clutched his shoulder. Leo Lung wondered how hitting his shoulder with an ironwood branch made it hurt so much. Was his shoulder broken or something?

Leo Lung quickly rubbed his shoulder and stood up. If he was to make it to Chor-Ghom Prison by noon, he would have to get moving in the next five minutes. He quickly packed up his bag and moved towards the prison. He could see the top of the prison over another mountain. {I will be there shortly} He thought.

The asian lion grabbed his bag and began the trek. It would only take about an hour and a half if he kept a steady pace.

At one point in his journey, he met a family of mountain goats who offered him food. Remembering that he had only packed noodles for his trip, Leo decided to take a break. Noodles can get old if they are all you eat.

Leo walked into the goats' home. The male, who had large horns donning his head, welcomed him and invited him for dinner. Leo began listening to the stories he had to offer. The wife, who was taking turns between caring for her 4-year old kid and cooking, began whipping up some vegan meal for her family, and chicken and dumpling soup for Leo.

Eventually, the family asked him what he was doing up in the mountains. {I don't want to lie to this family. Even if the truth...} His thoughts trailed off.

"I am here to visit a friend." He tried not to wince at the lie. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. He was here to visit Tai Lung.

"Ah, Ok." The father said, shoveling some food into his mouth. The family continued exchanging stories, and eventually they realized he was Leo Lung; the inventor of Lion-Style Kung-fu, the second animal to complete the 1,000 scrolls of Kung-Fu, and the brother of Tai Lung. The goats were shocked at first, but after they got over the fact that he was in their home, they were pretty ok with it.

Leo didn't want to overstay his welcome. When the sun-dial read about 11, he grabbed his stuff and left. The goats saw him out, and Leo continued his journey over the mountain to Chor-Ghom prison.

The asian lion didn't expect the terrain to be as hard and difficult as he thought. He had to climb over rocks and large, fallen trees, which didn't expect to find in a mountain, and that caused his shoulder to ache. Leo had assumed that the rhinos- or..Anvil of Heaven- had purposely made the terrain this difficult in case Tai Lung escaped. Is this what Shifu meant by 'taking extra precautions'? Leo pondered it for a while.

Leo Lung eventually crested the mountain top. He could see for miles all around. But that wasn't what the lion was focused on. On the mountain right in front of him, a large door was being built in the shape of gaping jaws. He shuddered slightly. The door was still being built; rhinos, pigs and some other animals hauled in wood and metal, while some were nailing and bolting the hinges.

Leo approached the door. A large rhino with a bronze horn approached him,

"Who are you?"

"I am Leo Lung. I come to visit Tai Lung, my brother."

The rhino thought for a long time. He shouted something to two of his guards. The two looked at each other, shrugged, and nodded to the large rhino.

"Come with me, Leo Lung." He grunted, and entered the huge prison.

Leo Lung's jaw dropped at the immense size of the place. It went down at least 1,000 feet. Countless rhinos were stationed at different catwalks all the way down.

"One thousand guards, One exit, and One prisoner." The rhino chuckled as they approached what looked like an elevator.

"Shifu told me you are taking extra precautions." He looked at the rhino. The heavily armored rhino laughed; a deep baritone sound,

"Look up!" Leo Lung followed his commands, "You see that dynamite? If he ever escapes, we will blow the entire prison up."

"Won't that kill you? And your entire force?" Leo asked, slightly concerned.

"If it stops our prisoner, then it's necessary." He said. Suddenly he grabbed the chain on the elevator and shook the platform violently. Leo Lung gasped, grabbing onto the handle bar and the rhino's shoulder. The rhino laughed again, his laugh echoing throughout the prison.

Suddenly the elevator slammed to a stop. Opening the gate, the rhino stepped out, beckoning for the lion to follow. Leo slowly followed, eying the large draw-bridge in front of him. Four rhinos guards were standing by the draw bridge. After receiving the order to lower it, Leo saw him.

"Behold, Tai Lung."


	6. Grudge Holding

"Behold, Tai Lung." The rhino said, pulling down the drawbridge.

Leo Lung's eyes widened at the sight before him. His fur bristled involuntarily and his tail lashed. His heart plummeted.

Tai Lung. The snow leopard who was as powerful as an elephant. Once one of the greatest Kung-Fu warriors. Leo Lung's life-long best friend. Now reduced to an unmoving prisoner.

Leo drank in the sight before him. His arms were stretched to his sides, and a tortoise-shell like contraption on his back. Jade pins dug into his spine, and he was kneeling painfully on the floor. He couldn't move at all.

"Tai Lung..." Leo said, his voice much shakier than he wanted it to be, "What happened?"

At the sound of his brothers name, Tai Lung's ears twitched. He looked up. Tai Lung's golden eyes widened. For a split second, Leo could see surprise and even a trace fear in his eyes. But then the snow leopard placed an invisible mask over his face. The snow leopard lowered his head so that he was staring at the floor. Tai Lung growled at his brother,

"Leave me.." He rasped.

"I won't. I can't leave you." Leo Lung approached his brother, the rhino captain and two guards following, each armed. Leo continued, "What you did was wrong. I hope you know that, an-"

"I do not want to hear your lectures!" Tai growled menacingly, "I said LEAVE ME!" Tai Lung suddenly snarled, lunging forward. Leo lurched backwards, his fur bristling. Tai Lung stopped suddenly, the pins on his back digging into the tortoise-shell like contraption. Tai Lung winced in pain, and returned to his former kneeling position.

The rhino guards surged forward, ready to attack on a moment's notice. Two rhinos armed a giant crossbow, but Leo Lung held them back, raising a paw before they could spear the snow leopard to death.

"Leo Lung.." The rhino captain said, his eyes hard, "This animal..this thing, is a criminal."

"And this criminal is my brother." Leo quickly countered, "And I want to talk with him." At this, the captain was silent for a moment, then hesitantly backed up.

"Tai Lung, I can feel that you regret this. I know it. But...no matter what you feel. I still love you. I forgive you." He muttered that last part, looking his brother in the eyes, even though his head was ducked. The snow leopard growled softly, lashing his tail, but did not say a word.

With that, Leo Lung stood up. He felt sadness in his heart. Leo took a deep breath and exhaled. Casting one last forlorn glance at his brother, he left wordlessly.

Tai Lung's Point of View

I had been here for only a few days. I did not know where I was, for I woke up like this. I could not move my arms, they were chained. A heavy contraption was on my back, and dug sharp pins or spikes into my muscles if I even twitched. I hated it. Is this my punishment for destroying the Valley?

I could hear footsteps just outside the island where he was chained. I did not know who they were, but I did not really care. The rhinos that guarded this place were cruel to me. I simply ignored them. That was until the drawbridge was lowered and I heard the voice of the rhino captain. And my brother, Leo Lung. When I heard his voice, my ear twitched involuntarily.

My head lifted up, and my golden eyes widening at the sight of my brother. He had bandages on his shoulder from when I had pushed him out of the window, and he looked tired. I narrowed my eyes, twitched my tail, and growled at him,

"Leave me.." I rasped to Leo Lung. I did not want to see him, so I lowered my head so that all I could see in my vision the ground. I did not want to face him. But Leo Lung, who became almost as stubborn as I was, approached me, his pawsteps heavy. Leo spoke, going on about how what I did was wrong. Anger began boiling up inside my body. Who was Leo to come to me and tell me what to do and what to think?! Suddenly my anger seemed to spike, and I could feel my fur bristling,

"I do not want to hear your lectures!" I growled, " I said LEAVE ME!" I roared, lunging forward. The pins dug painfully into my back, causing pain to radiate throughout my entire body. I scowled and ignored it. I surged forward towards Leo, trying to claw him, but I could barely even move his arms thanks to the chains {Curse these chains...} I thought, resorting back to my kneeling position and casting his eyes downward. The rhinos began talking to Leo, but I was hardly listening.

Eventually, Leo Lung kneeled down to his my level and spoke. I stared intently at the ground, trying to block him out. I heard him say three words.

"I forgive you."

I kept my head lowered and eyes closed so I could mask any emotion. But I suddenly felt a longing for my dear brother. Leo Lung hadn't done anything. He hadn't taken part in the plot to hold back the scroll.

Or what if he had? What if Leo Lung was plotting with Shifu and Oogway to keep the scroll from him, and they were doing it to tease me? To give it to someone else and watch me suffer? Was I doomed for all time to rot in this wretched jail?

It was all a rouse. Leo Lung was not my ally. Not any more. That much was true.


	7. War in the Making

Leo Lung slowly crested the mountain top, his mane ruffled and his eyes unfocused. As he left Chorh-Gom prison, he felt his heart longing for his brother. He could feel it. How could Tai Lung, the passionate, ambitious brother that Leo loved and respected, destroy the Valley and ruin Shifu, Oogway, and Leo's life?

The lion hated thinking on the issue. The more he thought about it, the deeper he fell into sadness and anger. Leo kept on brooding in silence. As he slowly descended into the valley of another mountain, he glanced upwards.

He had reached the goat farm he had passed on his way there. The asiatic lion slowly edged towards the end of the farm. But the young kid bleated out and Leo had attention unwillingly drawn to him.

Leo temporarily tried to hide his anger and sadness and put on a blank face. The family had kindly offered him some more food and a place to stay for the night, but he polite declined their offer. Leo knew that he was upset, and he feared that he would unintentionally lash out at the family. He would not want to strike fear in their hearts. He was already the brother of a criminal. No need to become one.

Soon enough, Leo began to climb a few more mountains when he heard a deep rumbling sound reverberating throughout the mountain range. The ground trembled beneath his paws. Leo glanced around, wondering what caused such an event. He saw a rocky outcrop and quickly scaled it.

From his new perch, Leo glanced about, searching for the cause of the ground trembling. Was there an earthquake? Then, over the peak of another mountain, he saw it. A storm. A storm of monstrous proportions. Lightning struck from the clouds- a white flash of angry claws swiping towards the ground, disappearing as fast as it appeared.

The lion frowned. If he was to evade such a storm, he would have to make haste back to the security of the Jade Palace. Leo gathered his small bag of items- which was reduced to a change of clothes at this point, and began trotting on all fours. He would hate to get caught in a storm like that. Leo continued back towards the Valley of Peace. The thoughts of warm cots, how happy Shifu and Oogway and the rest of the Jade Palace would be to see him, and the intensity yet joy in training kept him at a steady pace.

But the wind picked up. Leo glanced behind him and groaned in frustration. The storm was right behind him. The ground occasionally rumbled, and he could sometimes see the flashes of lightning light up shadows of rocks and branches. Leo stood back on his hind legs and picked up the pace to a jog. As Leo rounded a side of a large mountain, he saw something.

It was the cave. The cave he slept in on his first night. A sigh escaped Leo's lips. The lion ran full speed to the shelter. He leapt into the cave just as the storm hit. Leo turned and looked behind him. The violent winds blew rain into the cave, and Leo backed up. He hit the wall of the cave, and he frowned. {This is a big storm} He thought to himself {I'll meditate..When I am finished, the storm will be passed and I shall return home..}

.

.

Leo Lung had barely begun to meditate. He knew just enough about meditation to be able to calm his mind and quiet his spirit. Leo, while he was mild-mannered, was never a fan of meditation in his younger years. He always preferred to be doing something- whether it be training, hiking, or even eating.

However, whenever the asian lion did meditate, he hated being interrupted. Sudden shouts caused the lion to cringe, pin his ears to his head, and open his eyes. In the distance, out of his mountain cave, Leo spotted red lights. They looked to be torches of red fire. There were many of them, and they were moved quickly.

Leo stood up, shaking out his growing mane, and walked to the mouth of the cave. The sun was just beginning to set, but Leo could clearly see there were many creatures whatever they were. Some were carrying weapons, others carrying torches. But what caught Leo's attention was not the weapons, it was who led the brigade.

The lion could recognize that white peacock anywhere. Leo remembered hearing about the coronation of the peacock chick in Gongmen City. The white peacock chick. That had to be Lord Shen. But where was he going? And was he taking that army? Was he going to attack a village or a city?

The urge to follow them, to see where they were headed, was strong. But Leo couldn't. Something was not right. Something told Leo Lung that Shen was up to no good. He had to go to Gongmen City.

The journey was not hard or arduous. Just long. Nearly three days had passed since Leo had run out of his cave to the harbor city. He did not make any stops to rest either. His muscles, even though they were used to hard training, were not used to the seemingly endless journey. Leo ran on all fours, his legs pounding and the wind whistling past his ears.

When Leo saw the glint of the buildings, and the Peacock Tower jutting out of the ground like a staff, his energy was revitalized and joy filled his veins. His aching paws thudded against the ground. Eventually, grass, dirt and gravel turned into hard stone roads. Villagers, including sheep, duck, pig, and rabbit, all wandered through the streets. Some greeted him cheerily, but Leo had no time to chat idly. He had to tell Lord and Lady Peacock of what their son was doing.

When Leo Lung finally arrived to the large front doors of the Palace, ten antelope guards awaited him. Leo skidded to a stop, heaving and wheezing for breath. After a few minutes, he caught his breath. The head of the guards, a darker antelope with large, curved horns, patiently waited for him to speak.

"I am..." Should he call himself a Master? After he ran away from home? "Leo Lung. I come from the Jade Palace. I need to talk with Lord and Lady Peacock. It is about their son, Shen."

"You have intel on Shen's whereabouts? He has been missing for nearly six days. You may enter!" The guard said. Leo's eyes widened slightly but he only nodded subtly.

The large wooden doors were pried open and a guard rushed ahead to alert the Peacocks of their visitor. Two more guards escorted Leo Lung through the palace and up the grand staircase to the Throne Room.

Leo Lung stood before the couple. He had told them that he saw Lord Shen with an army of wolves, ready and equipped with torches, swords, war hammers and other weapons.

"It can't be true! It simply can not!" Lady Peacock said, her eyes wide. Lady Peacock's beautiful purple feathers were ruffled. Her crimson eyes were glistening with tears. Her husband, Lord Peacock, stared sadly at her before turning his gaze angrily to the asian lion.

"The Soothsayer has foretold that a black and white warrior shall defeat Shen, but I simply do not believe this. You have not any evidence but your eyes." Lord Peacock declared, standing tall and proud.

"But, my lord, you should not cast away my warning simply out of emotions. What if your son was leaving to destroy a village of pandas? Pandas are black and white, and I am assuming that he wants to change his fate." Leo Lung tried to reason.

"SILENCE!" Lord Peacock crowed. Leo crouched, his gaze averting to the floor. The peafowl continued, "You say you have whereabouts on my son, but you come here only to stain our good name? How dare you?!" Lord Peacock's tail feathers were unfurled, a shock of blue and green.

At that moment, another individual ascended up the stairs and entered the throne room. Lord and Lady Peacock's gaze moved past Leo. The lion turned to see...him. It was none other than the heir to the throne himself: Shen.

"Shen!" Lady Peacock cried, rushing to embrace her son, who had been missing for almost a week. But, instead of hugging her back, Shen only stood in place, breathing heavily. His intense, red eyes stared forward, at his father. A small smirk creased his beak.

"My son, where have you been?" Lord Peacock inquired.

"I did it.." He rasped, a small chuckle ending his sentence, "I changed my fate!"

Lord and Lady Peacock glanced at Leo Lung, then back to Shen. Shen, full of pride, continued, "The panda village is gone! I killed them all! I shall rule this city, and no one shall stop me!" The insanity was visible in the white peacock's eyes, "Are you not proud of me, father? Mother?"

Lady Peacock sobbed as she backed away. Her wing-hands covered her beak in pure horror and she held her husband in sadness. Leo Lung inhaled deeply as Lord Peacock took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Leo Lung, of the Jade Palace, has informed us of your crimes." Lord Peacock said, steadily. Shen's prideful grin fell. His father continued, "You destroyed an entire village for the sake of your own destiny? How selfish." He said, narrowing his eyes.

At this point, Lord Shen had been humbled, and fear filled his eyes as his own father turned against him. Leo Lung could only watch in anticipation. The tension was thick in the room.

"I can not let an insane creature rule Gongmen City. I hereby decree that you, my son, Shen, are exiled from the city. Do not come back." Lord Peacock ordered. A herd of antelope guards held their spears toward Shen.

The young Lord was surprised, anguished, horrified and angry. Shen slowly backed away. A pack of wolves gathered behind Shen. But the white peacock fixed his eyes on Leo Lung. Leo almost flinched from the amount of pure rage in the bird's eyes.

"You did this, Leo Lung of the Jade Palace." He rasped. The white peacock's pupils were shrunken with pure anger, "I will come back. I will get my revenge. And it will start with you! I will rule China! They will bow at my talons!" He shrieked, pointing his sword at Leo Lung. The lion's eyes widened and the peacock scowled, before whipping around and marching towards the Palace doors.

Lady Peacock sobbed into her husbands shoulder, and Leo Lung hung his head.

"I suppose I should get going." Leo said. Lord Peacock said nothing. He simply stared after his son, who was marching angrily out of the palace. The moment that those heavy, wooden doors slammed shut, the peafowl sighed and hung his head. His wife sobbed, her cries echoing off of the Palace walls.

"Just leave, Leo Lung of the Jade Palace." The noble, heartbroken peacock ordered.

So Leo Lung left. He moved slowly, so as to try to give Shen and his pack of wolves some distance. After several long, painful days of walking, when he saw the Valley of Peace in the distance, his heart filled with sadness. So he passed the village. He could not bare to see Shifu right now. The painful pang in his heart only grew when he gazed at the Palace.

Yes, Shifu would be heartbroken. Yes, Master Oogway would miss the lion. But no, Leo Lung could not possibly return to the Jade Palace. Every time he even pictured his former home he thought of only Tai Lung.

It hurt him too much. Only time and meditation could heal this wound.


	8. Meditation

The monsoon raged through the mountains. Leo Lung crouched on all fours. His tail lashed as he watched as the rain fell. After taking shelter in the cave, the Kung Fu Master had continued to watch the rain fall for several minutes.

Leo hated water. Leo believed the worst of the storm was yet to come, luckily, but he still didn't want to go out. He wouldn't try going home now. The lion shook his mane out and backed further into the cave. As he continued to listen to the steady rain, Leo felt his eyelids drooping.

He shook his head. He could easily wait out a storm such as this. The storm would pass in several hours. Leo sat on the rocky floor and watched the storm. He yawned. The Lion Master slapped himself. Not too hard to hurt, but hard enough to try and wake himself up. But even though he slapped himself, the steady hum of rain got the best of the lion's senses. Leo even tried to bite his paw. The plan was quickly scrapped- his pads may have been hardened from years of training, but his teeth were still sharp.

The asiatic lion slowly took his bag and turned the bag and made it into a makeshift meditating mat. If he was going to wait out this ungodly storm, he might as well be comfortable whilst doing so. He lay his other robe and bag on the floor and kneeled down on it, letting out a sigh of relief as his muscles relaxed and his brain calmed down.

Leo didn't want to fall asleep. He only wanted to rest. Meditating would have been an acceptable pass-time as well. But, after Leo stole a quick glance outside the cave, it was quite clear the storm would not pass soon. So the lion kneeled on his mat and closed his eyes.

Shifu had taught Leo about inner peace. Leo couldn't remember every last word of the lesson, but he remembered that true happiness could be reached by achieving inner peace. And, if the lion could recall anything from that day, it was that meditation could lead to inner peace. Maybe if he tried to meditate he could achieve inner peace?

So, with that in mind, Leo relaxed his muscles. He didn't even know how to achieve inner peace. But he held onto the hope that maybe he could achieve inner peace if he tried. He slowly hummed the words:

"Inner peace..."

In the Valley of Peace

"Where is he?!"

Shifu had turned over the entire palace searching for his remaining son. He had searched Leo's room, his favorite training spot, and even Leo's favorite restaurant. But the Kung Fu Master had found no sign of his beloved son.

The red panda was worried. What if Tai Lung had broken out and stolen Leo Lung? What if Leo Lung had run away and was never coming back? What if he was paralyzed somewhere and could not call for help?

Worry and grief clouded his mind. As a large thunderstorm brewed overhead, Shifu let out a shaky breath. What if Leo was in that storm? Shifu knew for a fact that Leo hated water. Shifu remembered trying to give him a bath when he was young cub. Shifu felt a smile tug at his muzzle, but he growled. He didn't want to appear happy in this time of obvious distress. His son was missing! Master Oogway, the tortoise, slowly approached his apprentice.

"Master Oogway!" Shifu said, his blue eyes were clouded with fear, "Do you know where Leo Lung is?! Please!" He begged. Shifu loved Leo Lung. It was one thing to witness one of his sons be sent to prison for life. It was another thing to see that and your last remaining child go missing the same week.

"Leo Lung.." Oogway breathed, "The young cat has gone a journey."

Shifu closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Leo Lung had not been captured or taken away. "Do you know where he went?" Shifu asked Oogway.

Master Oogway frowned, then said slowly, "Your apprentice has gone to visit his brother. He promised to be home be tonight."

Shifu frowned, Not only had two and a half days passed, but he still was not home yet.

"He must have gotten caught in the storm. That's it.." Shifu said, trying to ease his worrying nerves.

Oogway stared at Shifu in sadness. He seemed to know something at Shifu did not. But the red panda didn't press any further. He walked outside the palace and stared at the storm. The storm was monstrous.

The red panda sighed and turned to Oogway. "I'm..going to warn the villagers of the storm.." With that, the master limped to the village to tell the villagers to bring their things inside. This storm was bound to be unforgiving.


	9. Bao Gu Orphanage

Two months later

Shifu stared at the walking cane. How he despised it. He did not want help from a stick, even if the best doctors in the Valley of Peace insisted on it. Ever since Tai Lung shattered his hip, he had been relying on the cane. But, over time, the red panda's bones healed slowly and he could now walk with a subtle limp.

As Shifu walked down to the kitchen for breakfast, his cane in his right hand. He saw Zeng, a young messenger goose he just hired, waddle up to him.

"What is it Zeng?" Shifu sighed tiredly. The goose hesitated then handed Shifu a scroll. Shifu entered the dining room and sat down to eat. The red panda opened the scroll.

It was a letter. The Kung Fu master set his cane up against the table and proceeded to read the letter. It was from Bao Gu Orphanage. Shifu had heard of this place. But the letter didn't seem like an average one. It seemed to be a cry for help. Bao Gu seemed to be cursed with a terrible monster, and the staff needed his help with this monster.

Shifu called for a palace assistant to bring him some parchment and ink. Shifu then proceeded to write a to-do list for the palace servants. Shifu knew not how long this trip would take him, but he decided to just leave a list of things for the servants to complete. Once the whole list was finished and the palace looked spick and span, the servants could rest.

As Shifu packed his bags, his mind wandered to Leo Lung. His son had not yet returned. Shifu remembered tearing the Jade Palace apart for the lion. After a painful bout of overthinking and stressing, he had finally concluded that Leo Lung had either run away forever or worse. Shifu shook his head with a grunt. He did not want to be distracted on his trip to the orphanage.

Shifu looked over to a table near his bed and saw something that he never thought he would see again. The golden and white dominoes that he used with Tai Lung. The dominoes had been used to curb Tai Lung's powerful outbursts when he was a younger cub.

When Tai Lung was a young preteen, he would grow angry over some trivial matter. Tai Lung would then proceed to take his anger on whatever was in front of him. Shifu, Leo Lung, Oogway, and even some of the palace staff were in the crosshairs of Tai Lung's rage. Oogway and Leo Lung were able to fend for themselves, but the innocent geese, pigs, and rabbits were sitting ducks for the raging leopard. Some of the staff threatened to leave if he could not guarantee their safety from the snow leopard. Master Oogway had shown Shifu the dominoes, and, in riddle of course, told Shifu to use the blocks to help Tai Lung contain his power.

Now, the red panda wondered if he would be needing the wooden tiles. Shifu did not know what he would find at Bao Gu Orphanage- the letter did not specify what monster was contained in its walls. With a subtle shrug of his shoulders, he picked up the box of dominoes and placed them in his bag. Shifu then proceeded towards the exit of the Jade Palace.

Shifu finally arrived at the orphanage. The doors were open, and he could see adults mingling with children. It must be adoption day. Shifu felt a smile crease his muzzle. Bao Gu Orphanage seemed happy enough. There seemed to be no evidence of a monster.

The red panda waited politely until all of the adults had left, many of them accompanied by children. Shifu then approached the matron of the orphanage. The sheep looked relieved, "Master Shifu! You have arrived! I am so happy you will be able to tame this beast of ours."

"Show me where it is." Shifu said, getting straight to the point.

As the matron of the orphanage guided Shifu through the orphanage, she informed him of the situation. The Kung fu master remained silent, asking only the occasional question. According to the matron, it was a violent monster, who had sharp teeth and claws, and roared in the dead of night. Shifu asked what kind of monster this was, and the matron responded that her name was Tigress. {A tiger? No wonder they are afraid.} The orphans, of course, were frightened. The adults, she said, were too afraid to adopt it. {This monster is an orphan?} Shifu thought to himself.

At last the two arrived at a heavily barred, metal door. "Be warned!" The matron gave a last warning, "Nobody would come to adopt a child 'cause they are afraid of her. She's a monster. A monster!" The sheep bleated out.

Shifu nodded in understanding, and approached the door. He opened the heavy door with ease, and golden light flooded the room, highlighting the grey walls and clawmarks scored down them. Shifu spotted a little tiger cub, and he spoke softly, as to not scare her, "Tigress?" The little tiger cub turned her head slightly, and he could see one of her glaring eyes.

"I am Shifu." He introduced himself, "I am-"

"Afraid?!" The tiger cub interrupted, turning towards him. Shifu moved into the room and closed the door behind him,

"No."

"Well you should be!" Tigress turned to glare at him, "I am Tigress! Tigress the monster.." She said, lifting her chin defiantly, "..a monster no one wants." With that, Tigress sadly turned back to her corner, placing her chin on her knees.

"You are not a monster." Shifu countered easily, "You're just a little girl." Tigress lifted her head and looked at him in shock. It was obvious nobody played or interacted with the poor cub. Shifu then swiftly set up the wooden tiles he brought, picking one of them up, "Let us play?"

Tigress reached out for the piece that Shifu was holding. He let her take it. But Tigress quickly broke it, sending one of the pieces flying. Shifu quickly caught the piece and placed the broken tile pieces in one hand.

"You must learn to control your strength." And so the training began.

Over time, Shifu taught Tigress many games and skills, including the wooden domino game. He taught her precision, skillfulness, and most of all, gentleness. Although training was slow, it was easy to see that Tigress wanted to learn, and, even though Shifu lost countless wooden dominoes, her skill improved.

Shifu showed her how to throw tiles in the air and to catch them midair, but the cub would throw them in the air, catch them, and break them upon contact. Shifu had to teach her how to have a still hand and steady heart, and, slowly but surely, she improved. When Shifu left the orphanage that day, he had to buy a new box of wooden tiles.

With training, the tiger cub began to control her temper. The red panda could see a visible change in Tigress. She was less tense, and she started to move with grace and skill, instead of tense, heavy steps.

Weeks turned into months. Tigress no longer broke the wooden tiles, now placing them in patterns. Shifu talked to the matron, and Shifu brought Tigress to the courtyard of the orphanage. The other orphans looked on in fear, seeing Tigress out of her cell. Tigress looked at Shifu in apprehension. Shifu gave her a quick nod, and Tigress then set off to show the orphans what she had learned.

Not only were the orphans and staff impressed, but they all made quick friends with her. Shifu smiled as Tigress began to use the tiles to play with the other children.

"I believe my training here is complete." Shifu said to the matron, bowing to her. The sheep proceeded to thank the red panda immensely, going on about how much she had improved and how she was making quick friends with the other orphans. Shifu nodded, and left the orphanage.

But as Shifu was about to leave his hotel room and return to the Jade Palace for good, he received yet another letter from the matron of the orphanage. The orphans and staff of the orphanage loved Tigress, yet the adults were still afraid to adopt her. They did not see a gentle cub who could control her temper- they saw a raging monster who haunted the orphanage.

That was when Shifu remembered his two former sons, Tai Lung and Leo Lung. Nostalgia creeped up on him as he recalled the two big cats. The Jade Palace seemed empty without Leo Lung's quiet demeanor and Tai Lung's passionate energy. Now that Shifu thought about it, he could see both of his sons in the tiger cub. She had the power and strength of Tai Lung, yet she was kind and cared for others, like Leo Lung.

Shifu dashed over to the orphanage. As he approached the orphanage, he saw the doors were still open. He wasn't too late. But as he got closer, he saw that many of the orphans were gone. Except Tigress. The Matron was talking comfortingly to her, and Tigress made her way to a bench, where she sadly played with a tile. Shifu quietly took a tile from a nearby bench and placed his tile next to hers.

"Shifu!" Tigress said, looking up happily.

"Come. Let us go home." He said, turning and walking towards the door. He heard Tigress get up and run towards him. Shifu smiled briefly. As the two walked back to the Jade Palace together, Shifu glanced at Tigress. Yes. He could see his sons in this young cub. Maybe this was the Dragon Warrior after all.


	10. Prodigal's Son

Tai Lung stalked up to the Jade Palace. In his eyes was a hungry gleam for revenge. In his hands, the limp body of his brother. His hardened paws stepped lightly on the stairs. Beside him, Tigress the tiger cub walked beside him. Tai Lung was not ignorant to her presence, but he did not speak to her. Both the cats were silent as they climbed the stairs, the younger sometimes stealing glances at the body of the lion that the muscular snow leopard carried.

On top of the stairs, Shifu stood. The red panda's eyes were wide with fear at the sight unraveling before him. He wanted to run. But his mind, trained in the ways of Kung Fu, kept him stationary. His tail bushed as he saw his former students climb the stairs to him. Shifu did not need the eyes of an eagle to see the limp body of the lion in Tai Lung's arms.

Horror crept up the Kung Fu master's spine as Tai Lung and Tigress stood before him. Tai Lung's huge frame dwarfing the tiger cub. But it didn't even take a baby goose to see the hate gleaming both of the feline's eyes. The large snow leopard tossed Leo Lung's body to the ground, carelessly, as if it were a filthy dish rag. Shifu inhaled sharply, recoiling from the horrifying sight of his two students standing over the lion's body.

Tai Lung, seeing his master in such a vulnerable state, chuckled quietly,

"What's wrong, Master? Did I frighten you?" The snow leopard asked, faux sweetness lacing his voice. Tai Lung's lips curled into a menacing grin to reveal his gleaming teeth.

Shifu seemed to be frozen. He could not seem to find an answer. All he could seem to do was stare in horror at Tai Lung, Tigress, and Leo Lung's broken body. Tai Lung, realizing that his question was going to remain unanswered, let out a loud roar. He lunged at his master, and sunk his teeth into his throat.

Thunder boomed outside as Shifu let out a cry of anguish and surprise as he bolted upright. His cover flew off of him. He had had a nightmare. The red panda shook his head.

Shifu glanced around. It was dark outside, and a storm brewed overhead. The red panda turned and planted his small feet on the floor. He rubbed his head with one of his paws, and turned on his lantern with his other paw. He took the lantern off of his small bedside table and walked over to his window.

As Shifu looked outside, his thoughts once again wondered to his son, Leo Lung. He had gone missing about one year ago. Shifu had started training Tigress three months ago. Shifu, in an effort to not relive the past, grew distant from Tigress. Shifu had overheard some of the staff speaking that Tigress cried herself to sleep one night after a rough day of training.

The red panda had quickly dismissed the conversation. If Tigress could not handle the tough training of Kung Fu then maybe she didn't... Shifu could tell that Tigress was meant to be the Dragon Warrior. The power behind everyone of her moves and the fierce look in her eyes had convinced Shifu. But as he thought about it, he didn't want to drive Tigress away. Shifu remembered the one thought that had convinced him to adopt the tiger cub: he had seen both of his sons in her. The red panda sighed and shook his head just as thunder boomed outside.

The Kung Fu master moved back to his bed and crawled under the one cover that he had, replacing the lantern on the table and blowing out the candle. Shifu turned over in his bed and closed his eyes, wishing for sleep.

Two months later, in the mountains

Leo Lung's eyes flew open. He was on his knees on a mat in a cave. The lion looked around wildly. Where was Shifu? Leo stood up and took in his surroundings.

His moment of blissful unknowing ended quickly. A dusty pack lay near his mat, and the sun outside was shining. Leo ran a paw through his mane. Even if it hadn't been combed in a year, it didn't have too many tangles in it.

The lion walked to the outside of the cave. The bright sun made him hiss and back up. {I have seen sunlight in a year.} Leo's eyes narrowed as he took another tentative step back into the sunight. His tail quivered in a combination of nervousness and excitement as he felt the almost unfamiliar warmth of the sunlight being soaked in his fur.

A cry from an overhead hawk made the lion look up. There, in the distance, Leo saw a building glint in the sunlight. That building was a building he never thought he would see again. The Jade Palace.

Leo let out a sigh of both awe and relief. The prospect of going home seemed tempting now. Leo glanced back at his dusty bag and walked over to it. With a powerful breath, the lion blew the dust off of it, coughing when some of the dust blew back into his face.

After Leo had gathered his things and stretched his stiff limbs, Leo embarked on the journey home.

The journey home was longer than Leo anticipated. But Leo didn't think much of it. He had been meditating for a year and two months. He figured it would be ok if he underestimated the distance back home.

When Leo arrived in the Valley of Peace, he certainly wasn't prepared for the welcome that he received from the villagers. It started when a baby rabbit pointed him out, claiming 'The Lion has returned! Leo Lung is back from the dead!'

That was when villagers started cheering and presenting him with food and many other varieties of gifts. Leo politely denied the gifts. He didn't want these innocent villagers to give away their possessions to a lion who has been in a mountain meditating for the last year.

But when one of the villagers mentioned Shifu, Leo's ears perked up. Leo pushed his way through the crowd and began to make his way towards the stairs that led to the Jade Palace.

Leo fell onto all fours and began accelerating towards the palace. The crowd cheered behind him, and the lion pictured Shifu in his head. How happy would Shifu be when he was reunited with his long lost son? Leo beamed at the thought.

Eventually the master reached the base of the stairs that lead to the palace. Leo ran up the stairs on all fours. He easily cleared five or six steps at a time.

Shifu was watching Tigress train in the Training Hall when one of the staff burst into the room in a blind hurry. Shifu turned to glare at the goose. Did he not give them instructions to not interrupt when he was training? It must be an emergency.

"Master Shifu.." The goose wheezed, "He has returned..!" The bird leaned on one of the columns to try and catch his breath.

Shifu's paranoia caught up to him. Tai Lung was coming back? He remembered the dream he had a few months ago. He ordered Tigress to stop training and to come with him. Shifu rushed outside to see Oogway was approaching him. Shifu then ran to the stairs.

Tigress came up beside Shifu and Oogway. For a few seconds, Shifu was concerned that Tai Lung would kill Tigress. She only had about a year of training, compared to Tai Lung, who had been training his whole life.

But the animal who crest the stairs was not Tai Lung. It was a cat Shifu never thought he would see again. His eyes widened and he could feel a tear streak down his cheek.

"L-Leo Lung!"


	11. Midnight Training

Leo Lung ran up the stairs, faster than he thought possible. He ran as fast as he could, sometimes clearing 4 or 5 steps at a time. Shifu ran down the steps to meet him.

The lion bunched his hind muscles and sprang up the steps in a mighty leap. Leo landed right by his master, and he threw his arms around him in a big hug. Shifu let out a shaky breath and hugged the cat, even though his smaller arms didn't even reach his waist.

"Shifu..Master..I've missed you so much." Leo said in a shaky sigh, trying not to crush his master in his embrace.

Shifu barely uttered a word, tightening his grip. He never wanted to let his son go. The red panda had once trained himself to have iron control over his emotions, but he couldn't help himself as tears streaked down his face.

After what seemed like an eternity, Leo gently let go and looked at Master Shifu, a large grin creasing his muzzle. The lion looked past his master and looked at a young tiger, standing a few steps above Shifu.

"Who is this?" Leo asked curiously. Shifu turned and looked at her. The tiger flicked her tail, slightly nervous.

"My name is Tigress." The young cat introduced herself. Leo smiled.

"It is very nice to meet you, young Tigress. I am Leo Lung." The lion said, watching the tiger cub. She was very small, but Leo was sure that, under the guidance of Shifu, she would grow into a powerful young warrior.

"Leo Lung?!" Tigress said, her eyes widening in awe. "The brother of-"

"Tai Lung. Yes." Leo finished her sentence. He stared at the ground for a moment, as he remembered seeing his brother in the prison. But Leo shook those thoughts away. This was not a time to be sad. He was reunited with his family!

"Come, Leo Lung," Shifu said, a smile on his small muzzle, "let us go home and feast."

As Leo Lung, Tigress, and Master Shifu entered the Jade Palace, Leo saw the outline of a tortoise on top of a hill, coming slowly down the stairs. Leo slowly gasped. Was that Master Oogway? He was still alive?!

Leo ran up to Master Oogway and stopped before him. The Grandmaster looked up at him slowly.

"Welcome home, Leo Lung." Oogway said.

The asian lion kneeled down before the tortoise and felt tears well up in his eyes again. Leo sobbed once and opened his arms. Oogway hugged him gently. Yes, Leo did miss Shifu and the Jade Palace, but the Grandmaster had always held a special place in his heart. When Leo was making his way back home, he wasn't certain whether he would see Oogway again. He knew Oogway was old and his time might come soon.

But, as Oogway gently pushed Leo away, the lion knew that Oogway would not be leaving for a very long time. Shifu and Tigress joined Leo and Oogway. Shifu was smiling from ear to ear, and Tigress had a curious look in her eyes.

"Let us feast to you, Leo Lung. You have come home."

Over the next few weeks, Shifu made sure Leo Lung never left the Jade Palace. Leo honestly did not blame him. He probably did not want to risk losing his son again. But, once the months began to pass, the red panda was more lenient on the guards.

Leo began made trips into the Valley. Sometimes he visited villagers and merchants and other times he took a walk to simply enjoy life as it was. But on most days he watched and sometimes trained with Tigress.

It was obvious the young tiger was making splendid progress in her training. Even though she barely reached his waist, she was a force to be reckoned with. When Leo Lung watched her first training session, which was only with the training dummy, he could see the power behind her moves. Leo had to swallow his pride just to admit the cat could grow as powerful as him, even more powerful.

Speaking of training, Leo resumed his training several days after he got back to the palace. He usually trained in the early hours of morning and finished by noon or the hours after, taking the rest of the day to observe Tigress's training or to spend time meditating with Master Oogway.

Leo Lung was glad he made the decision to come home when he did. But he could still remember when the hallways were occupied with the large snow leopard that was his brother. But, before Leo's grief could wash over him like a rain, he would bottle up his feelings and put them in the back of his mind. But those feelings would come back that night as he lay in bed. Could he have stopped his brother? What if Tai Lung came back?

Leo tossed and turned in his cot, his tail twitching. His sole blanket had fallen to the floor some time ago, but Leo disregarded it. His thick mane often kept him warm during the night. His mind seemed to be scattered everywhere, and trying to close his eyes and wishing for sleep did not help either. Sleep always seemed to avoid him when he needed it the most.

Finally, having enough of tossing and turning, the lion stood up and gazed around the room. Master Shifu had had the palace servants dust his room and tidy it up. Leo was thankful for the wooden flooring. The stone floor of his meditation cave and the sudden journey back home had made his knees sore. But he had disregarded the pain. Nothing could compare to the emotional pain of losing your brother forever.

A growl built up in his throat. He had to figure out some way to clear his mind! Leo trudged out of his room- quietly of course, he did not want to disturb Shifu or Tigress, and made his way down to the training hall. Maybe some training could ease up his mind. Hopefully, if he trained hard enough, he would tire himself out so he could easily go to sleep instead of tossing and turning all night.

Leo Lung stared down at the floor as he made his way to the Hall. He did not see the small figure in front of him until he almost bumped into him.

"Leo? What are you doing awake at this hour?" Shifu asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Was his son running away again?

"I could not sleep. I thought some training could help clear my mind a bit." Leo answered, his voice laced with sleepiness.

Shifu almost sighed in relief. He feared Leo would leave for good this time. But he restrained himself, and looked up at the lion,

"How about we go train together? Late-night training never hurt anyone." Shifu commented. Leo nodded in agreement. Both the red panda and the lion walked together to the training hall.

The two trained and sparred until the sun began to crest the horizon. Leo Lung was tired at first, and his insomnia showed when he first began to throw his punches. But, as the minutes flew by, he felt the rush and adrenaline of training pump itself into his blood. He sparred with Shifu several times, even beating him on one occasion when he pinned the panda underneath his body. Leo wasn't sure if Shifu let him win or not.

Eventually, Tigress awoke and found the two masters training each other in hallway. She stood quietly, watching as the lion moved across the floor. He moved with grace, almost as if he were dancing. He would be, if he weren't blocking the hits of the wooden warriors and almost destroying them with one slash of his claws. Shifu noticed the tiger cub was awake, and halted Leo Lung's training.

Leo watched as Shifu commenced young Tigress's training. It was not as intense as his own training, but she was much younger. She had a long way to before she could become a worthy opponent of him. But, until that time arrived, Leo was content with observing.


	12. Birthdays

Leo Lung, even at the peak of his training when he was younger, was never a morning cat. He always valued his sleep, taking every spare second to try to nap. Even five seconds of micro-sleep was greatly appreciated.

So when Shifu gave Tigress the day off of training for her 10th birthday, she simply had to go to Leo and hang out with him. Tigress had assumed he would be meditating in his room, not sleeping.

But when the idea to scare him awake popped into her head, Tigress could think of nothing better. She silently crept into the sleeping lion's room. Leo was asleep on his stomach, his flank rising and falling every so often. Tigress thought she saw his tail twitch once or twice. Was the Lion Master dreaming? A wild smirk creased the tiger cub's muzzle, and her claws scraped against the wooden floor as she fell on all fours.

She had never felt something like this. It was a predatory feeling. It felt like something she had not felt since her days at the orphanage, when she hunted the other children simply out of pleasure. But this was different, a more tame version of that wild rage. Her tail lashed in anticipation. The thought of scaring her brother awake made her giddy.

Tigress crept onto her older brother's bed. She was careful not to rip his cot with her claws. He might not be happy with that. She crept right up next to his head. The young cub got a brilliant idea to roar. She had not roared very much since she left the orphanage, but now the idea seemed genius.

She took the deepest breath she could and felt the roar build up in her throat. Tigress edged forward and roared at the top of her lungs.

Everything was a blur from there. One minute she was on the bed on all fours, the next second she was on the floor on her back, completely winded and terrified for her life.

The wind seemed to howl as loud as the wolves of the mountain. The golden and purple light of dusk coated the land like a blanket. Leo's golden eyes narrowed. His muscles quivered and his tail twitched. A tall, muscular figure cloaked in all black circled him slowly.

Leo had no clue who this creature or whatever was. But the lion had a hint of what his opponent was. Or, more like, who. Leo had not thought of his brother for a while, but the inkling of who this character could be nagged at his mind.

Leo uttered a prayer just as the figure lunged at him. The lion ducked and swerved out of the way. The black figure landed in front of him and turned slowly to face him. The light hit the figure just right, and Leo spied the gleam of sword-sharp claws in the light. Leo did not even dare of think what would happen if those claws came near him.

The lion was about to leap to attack when a roar ravaged his ears. Caught completely off guard, Leo's eyes flew open. {Attack!} Leo whipped around to face whoever had dared attack him in his sleep. Without even seeing who it was, he landed a nasty uppercut to their jaw, sending the smaller figure flying to the floor.

Adrenaline, anger, and surprise led him to leap out of bed and land above the smaller figure. Leo bared his fangs in a snarl, letting the gleam of dawn make his teeth look sharp. Whoever dared attack him would-

Oh. Oh no.

Leo realized, with horror, that the terrified creature below him was none other than Tigress. Guilt replaced his anger in a heartbeat, and he quickly crawled off of her. Tigress was shaking. Even though she was covering her face, her quiet sobs told him that she was crying. Leo panicked. {What have I done?! I am so stupid! I should have looked before I hit her!} Leo harshly scolded himself.

He prayed that Tigress would not run to Shifu. The red panda would never let him sleep in again for the rest of his life if he knew what just happened. Leo Lung gently lay a large paw on his crying sister.

"Tigress..I.." Leo fought for words. He could go ahead and say he was sorry, but he did not feel that would cut it, "Tigress, I didn't mean to hurt you." He purred gently, moving in close to her, "But you don't go around scaring people like that." He said, trying his best to not sound angry. As Leo listened for a response, he could hear the young cub mutter 'I'm Sorry' over and over underneath her sobs.

Leo's heart cracked into two. He gently picked her up and hugged her close to his body. Tigress hesitantly hugged him back. Leo made a silent vow to never hurt her again. Even though he would never hurt her again, the lion felt that wasn't enough. He gently pushed her off, and smiled weakly at her,

"Do you want me to take you out today?" He prayed she would answer yes. He had to make it up to her somehow. Tigress nodded and hugged his large arm.

"Alright. Go get some comfortable clothes on, we are going to go get breakfast." Leo smiled and gently ruffled the fur on top of her head. The cub giggled quietly and ran out of the room.

Leo stood up and frowned. How could he have attacked her like that? He shook his head and ran a paw through his brown mane. It was in the past now. But Leo called for a palace assistant. If he was going to take Tigress out all day, he might as well tell Shifu so he wouldn't have a heart attack searching for the two cats.

As Leo sent the goose away with instructions on what to tell Shifu, Tigress slid the door open. She was wearing a red top with a white belt and dark pants. It suited her.

"Alright, kitten, let's go. Don't be afraid to be yourself, this is your day." Said Leo as he threw on a green robe with golden tips. He walked out the door and Tigress followed, occasionally trying to pounce on his tufted tail.

Leo smirked. Yes, this would be a good way to make it up to her.

Throughout the entire day, the pair of cats visited plenty of stores and merchants. Leo counted his lucky stars that he was a Kung Fu Master- some of the store owners recognized him and offered to give him what he wanted for free. Of course, he got Tigress whatever she wanted. It was her birthday. He already scared the living daylights out of her, no need to withhold gifts.

Tigress, even though it was her 10th birthday, didn't seem to want anything big. Just being outside the Jade Palace for once and not in an orphanage was a gift enough for her. Her older brother was kind enough to get her whatever she wanted though, provided it was either free or costed less than 25 silver coins.

But Tigress was lucky. Her older brother apparently was a local celebrity, and the store merchants usually let him get whatever he wanted for free. Tigress used this to her advantage. In a store selling jade trinkets, she saw a beautiful necklace with a small jade dragon hanging from the thread.

"I like that necklace.." She smiled toothily as she touched the dragon on the end of the thread.

"You want that one, kitten?" Leo picked it up and walked to the store clerk, who was an aged rabbit with white and grey fur. The rabbit looked up at the large lion and took the necklace.

"Ah, this necklace. It is believed this necklace brings luck to the wearer." Leo nodded. The rabbit continued to go on and on as Leo kept on eye on the necklace and the other on Tigress, who was examining everything in the Jade shop.

"This necklace will cost..hmm..about 15 coins? Silver coins maybe? Or was it 20?" The rabbit mused. The lion let out a quiet sigh. He didn't have to use up all of his coins on this one gift, but he did not want to spend all morning in here with a rabbit who forgot the prices of his own wares. Eventually, the rabbit decided on a price of 17 coins.

As Leo counted out his money, he was forced to take his eyes off of his little sister. But Leo didn't worry. She was well disciplined, she knew to not leave the store without her older brother.

But Shifu had never warned Tigress about strangers. He never thought he would have to, as she never left the Palace before this day. Tigress was looking inside a jade pot when a grey wolf approached her. Tigress turned to look up at him. He was at least 3 times her size.

"Hi there." Tigress said, her tail flicking.

"Hello. Do you like candy, little girl?" The wolf asked, his red eyes glittering in the light.

Tigress pondered the question. Had she ever eaten candy before? Tigress looked at him and responded, "I've never tried candy before."

"You haven't!?" The wolf gasped quietly, "Come with me, and I will give you lots of free candy!" He said. Tigress smiled. Maybe when she was finished she could ask Leo to buy her lots of candy that this wolf would give her!

But before she could go to her brother the wolf grabbed her buy her wrist and began dragging her towards the door. Tigress winced. This wolf had a very harsh grip. She tried to ask him to not be so rough, but he ignored her. He dragged her out of the store into an alleyway. Tigress didn't see any candy, just a hooded cart.

But as the two approached the cart, she could smell the faint scent of something metallic and gross. That didn't smell like the sweet scent of candy. Tigress' eyes widened. There was no candy here! Horror dawned on her. She tried to break the wolf's grip, but he was incredibly powerful. Tigress attempted to use one of Shifu's methods to escape but pinching a pressure point, but the wolf had a very large paw with what seemed like an iron grip. The wolf fiddled with one of the locks on the cart with one paw and held onto Tigress's scruff with the other paw. Growing desperate, Tigress let out a pained cry, and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Leo!"

Leo's head shot up. He had just finished putting his money on the counter when he heard Tigress scream his name. He glanced around the store, wondering if she was hurt. But she was no where to be seen!

The lion began to panic. The one time he took his sister out, and she goes missing. Shifu would certainly kill him and hang his pelt on the front gate if he lost Tigress. He hastily grabbed the necklace he got her and ran out of the store. He scanned the street, but he still could not find her. The lion was officially panicking now. He tried to follow the scent of the young cub, but there were other people in the street and her scent was hard to find. Leo ran down the street and looked down an alleyway.

There was Tigress! Leo was about to sigh in relief when he saw the wolf that was holding her. His eyes widened. Tigress had not wandered off. She had been taken!

Not even bothering to ask questions, he roared and, in two bounds, leapt into the alleyway and rammed into the wolf. The wolf growled in retaliation, but Leo began pummeling the wolf before it could hit him. Bystanders in the entrance of the alleyway gaped in horror and, some in awe, as the lion defended his sister. Shifu had always told Leo that Kung Fu was never meant to be used out of anger, but only in defense, but Leo cast that lesson away. This wolf tried to kidnap Tigress. Who knew what he would do to her if he managed to get away.

Leo landed blow after blow on the creature. Some of the punches clearly missed as the wolf tried to evade the blows, but every so often Leo would slash the wolf across the muzzle or ear. Eventually the wolf wriggled out of his grasp and ran far away. Leo galloped a few paces after him to make sure he got the picture.

Tigress was speechless. She watched as Leo landed punch and punch on the wolf. But once the evil wolf ran away, and Leo had made sure he was gone, he sheathed his claws and turned slowly towards her.

"Are you alright, kitten?" He asked, approaching her and gently running a big paw over her to check for injuries.

"I'm fine. He said he had candy, but he tried to stuff me in that cart!" Tigress said, pointing to the hooded wagon. Leo's eyes narrowed. The wolf was a criminal, no doubt about that.

"Tigress, let me tell you something." Leo started, "If an animal you don't know ever approaches you and says they have free candy, or anything, that's cool, but don't ever go anywhere with them ok? Always stay with me or Shifu or Oogway."

"Ok. I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise." Tigress said, casting her eyes to the ground. But, instead of reprimanding her more, Leo simply smiled,

"It's alright. But don't ever go anywhere with strangers. I'll get you some candy from the candy store, ok?" The lion smiled and picked up Tigress, placing her on his shoulders. Tigress smiled, the horror and fear of the prior minutes forgotten.

As Leo approached a candy store, he set Tigress down and let her browse through the candy. But he never let the cub out of his sight. Even though all the adults in here didn't look like criminals, he couldn't trust anyone, especially after the fiasco that just happened.

Tigress picked out two handfuls of different varieties of candies and gave them to Leo, who could hold them in one paw. He took Tigress in the other paw and walked her to the counter to pay. As Leo made the transaction, he never let go of Tigress. He didn't want her wandering around and getting taken away for good this time, even though he would much rather count out his coins with two paws.

When Leo finished and put the candies in a sack, he handed the bag to Tigress, "Don't eat them all in one place, kitten!" He teased. The tiger cub giggled and Leo lead her to the exit.

The two arrived at the Jade Palace and they were both greeted by Shifu. He smiled and asked how the day went. Before Tigress could tell Shifu she was almost kidnapped, Leo told him that he got her a necklace, some candies and other small trinkets, including some candles for meditation and a new purple robe.

Leo could tell simply by his facial expression that Shifu was happy he was spending time with his sister, and Leo wondered if he could do this every year with her. Shifu dismissed them to go to their rooms and rest- they had training tomorrow.

The two trudged to their rooms and Leo lay on his bed. He nestled under the lone cover and fell asleep almost instantly. It was a long and eventful day, especially for young Tigress. But, in all honesty, that's how birthdays are.

"L-Leo?"

"Hmm? Is that you, kitten?"

"Can I sleep in your bed with you tonight?"

"What's wrong with your bed?"

"I had a nightmare about that wolf."

"Alright. Come here, you can sleep on that side of the bed."

"Hey, Leo?"

"What is it, Tigress?"

"Goodnight."

"G'night, kitten."


	13. Field of Fiery Death

Leo Lung awoke before the sun rose. He was about to get out of bed when he realized there was something- or more like, someone- clinging to his arm. He glanced over and saw Tigress, who was sleeping soundly.

The lion debated on whether he should take her back to her own room. He decided on yes, and he gently picked up Tigress and carried her back to her room. She felt heavy with sleep. {She had an exciting day yesterday.} The asian lion thought to himself and he slid open her room door and slid her onto her bed. He hoped she wouldn't be angry or upset about it when she woke up.

But Leo shook that thought away and made his way to the Training Hall. He had not trained at all yesterday, he had spent time with Tigress instead; but that was no excuse to miss training this morning.

Leo hauled open the doors to the training hall and made his way over to the wooden warriors. There was one that caught his attention. This one had no weapons or spikes on it's hands and was tiny, only reaching a bit higher than Leo's knees. Did Tigress make this? Leo gingerly picked it up and set it out of the way. He didn't want to mess with Tigress's equipment, even though it would be so easy to destroy.

The lion trained for several more hours. He loved training with the wooden warriors, as they were almost as formidable as any opponent and presented him with a challenge. If he wasn't careful he could get-

"LEO LUNG!" The doors to the hall flew open and Leo flinched, causing one of the wooden arms of one of the warriors to slap him across the muzzle and another to whack his spine. Leo gently placed his paws on the warriors to stop them from moving, and he looked to see who was making such a ruckus.

Shifu stood in the doorway, and Tigress came up behind a few heartbeats later, and Leo's gaze flicked between them. What was this about? Shifu was leaning heavily on his cane. Leo thought Shifu looked like he was about to kill somebody, and poor Tigress looked pretty scared or worried.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" Shifu marched up to Leo, his limp suddenly evident now.

"Hello Master Shifu." Leo tried to sound polite and keep his formalities, even though he had no clue what was going on, "Um..let what happen?" His tail flicked nervously.

"Tigress! She almost got kidnapped! And you didn't tell me?!" Shifu pointed to Tigress for emphasis, who was slowly making her way into the training hall. Leo sighed on the inside. Tigress must've ratted him out.

"Yes, I admit, I took my eyes off of her for about 4 seconds-"

"And 4 seconds is all it takes-" Shifu interrupted.

"But I saved her! And she was not hurt or anything. Yes, it was a close call, but-"

"Why did I ever let you do this?!" Shifu muttered, pacing back and forth, his tail bushed in what Leo could only guess was anger.

"The wolf would have to be stupider than a baby goose to try to snatch someone up now. The Valley is safe now!" Leo argued,

Shifu paced back and forth, leaning on his cane. Leo could clearly see that Shifu was debating on whether he should punish the lion or not.

"I don't want you taking Tigress out of the Palace again, you hear me?" The red panda said, glaring at Leo. The lion sighed.

"Yes Master."

"Get out. It's time for Tigress's training." Shifu said.

Leo's eyes widened at that. Shifu usually always let him watch the cub's training. But he was angry, and he respected that. Leo trudged out of the hall. As he passed Tigress, she muttered an apology, but he ignored it.

The lion walked into his room and sat down on his bed. He held his head in his paws and flicked his tail in anger. Of course Shifu would find out; he always did. But Leo tried to not beat himself up. Tigress still had a mostly fun birthday. She got to get out of the palace, which did not happen very often. Leo just decided to spend the rest of the day in the palace and not bothering Shifu.

Three Months Later

Leo stared wide-eyed at the floor in front of him. Shifu and Tigress stood beside him. Pipes lined the floor and Leo could smell the gasoline in the air.

"Leo, Tigress, this is the Field of Fiery Death." The red panda said, pride lacing his voice. Shifu raised on of his paws and snapped his fingers.

Fire erupted from several of the pipes. Tigress inhaled sharply. Leo's fur bristled.

"You will need perception, flexibility, and balance. Remember that even a supposedly safe surface can turn on you in an instant." Shifu lectured, "You go first, Leo. Start on this side of the field, and make it to the other side without getting burned. Good luck."

The lion winced. Whose idea was it to put this into the training hall? But he did not dare disobey his master. He didn't know what would be worse to deal with: a field full of unpredictable fiery explosions or an angry Master Shifu.

Leo descended onto the pipes. He had to be careful. Getting his fur scorched for the sake of training did not sound like his idea of a good time. A flame burst into the air about three pipes in front of him and Leo's tail quivered. His heart pounded in his chest. He knew Tigress and Shifu were both watching.

The lion took a few steps forward once the flame in front of him died down. Since the pipe was just used, it would be safe, right? Leo prayed his guess was correct. He heard a dull hissing sound to his right. Leo glanced over and smelled gasoline. Just a heartbeat later, fire shot into the air, barely a whisker-length away from his nose. If he were one pipe closer his muzzle would have been scorched.

But Leo slowly advanced forward, listening for the hissing sound or the gasoline smell that meant fire was nearby. On several occasions he almost got burnt, but his feline reflexes saved his fur- literally.

The hissing noise and gasoline smell easily aided Leo, and he began to increase his pace to a slow jog. He was about halfway through the field and making good progress. A smile creased his muzzle.

He stopped worrying about Shifu and Tigress, and started worrying about all the pipes around him. Even though his body only covered about four of the pipes, his tail stretched out behind him two more pipes. That increased the chance of some part of him getting burned, and Leo didn't like that too much. He curled his tail around his body, and kept moving forward.

Soon, the lion had reached the end of the field with no burn or scorch marks. Leo smiled. He gazed back over to Shifu and Tigress. Tigress was beaming.

"Good work, Leo!" Shifu called, "Now, Tigress, it is your turn."

Leo shifted on his paws. Would Tigress be able to complete this challenge? She was only 10 years old. It would be horrible if she was in the infirmary for a week because of training gone wrong.

But his doubts were easily proven wrong. Tigress apparently caught on with the hissing and gasoline, as she easily leapt out of the way of the flames before they even appeared. A grin creased Leo's muzzle as she finished the Field. Shifu, seeing both his students complete the Field with apparent ease, leapt onto the array of pipes and began crossing with skill and ease. He finished quickly.

Shifu proceeded to congratulate the two felines on their work, talking about how they could improve and how he had ideas for plenty of more training obstacles and courses.

Leo didn't talk much. He simply gazed onto the Field of Fiery Death, wondering how much he could train on it. Tigress seemed to like it, as she was able to leap gracefully and use her senses to her advantage.

He did not mind the additions to the Training Hall. But, if Shifu got his way, then the Training Hall had a lot of renovations to go through.


	14. Training Methods

Over the course of several weeks, Leo had honed his training in the Field of Fiery Death. He tried not to rely so heavily on his senses and instead just try not be in the way of the flames when they happened.

Tigress often watched him, her paws itched as she wished to join him. But she remained on the side lines, simply watching. Sometimes Leo would catch her mimicking his moves, but he did not mind.

Day after day, the lions life became routine. He would wake up before dawn, eat breakfast, train until nightfall, eat dinner and then go to bed. And Leo Lung hated it. He tried to spice up his life however he could: trying a new training method, sparing with Shifu, and he even tried hiding behind some bushes and scaring the palace staff. Leo thought it was fun, it brought a sense of adrenaline and excitement that he never really felt anymore during training. But the geese obviously did not feel the same way, and they told Shifu about it right afterward. Leo went to bed hungry that night.

Even though Leo filled his day up with training, he was very bored. The Field of Fiery Death and the Wooden Warrior could only keep him busy for so long before he sought something else to do. He even tried training with the dummy that he and Tai Lung practiced with when they were children. Shifu, also not liking this, stopped Leo, claiming he needed a "more worthy opponent than this thing."

Leo even tried cutting back on his training and simply wandering around the Jade Palace, thinking to himself. He thought about everything, from the villagers in the Valley of Peace to what he would be having for dinner that night. It would probably be soup. He tried playing games with himself: Leo tried to count all the different types of trees on the Palace grounds, but gave up after only counting ironwood trees and cherry trees. One day, while staring blankly at the training dummy, Leo thought to himself.

{Maybe if Master Shifu puts something new in the training hall.}

Leo beamed at the idea. There were so many things he could train with! Ideas swirled through his head, some brilliant and some not so brilliant. Leo ran out of the Training Hall, almost bumping into Tigress. Leo muttered a quick apology and ran back to his room, Tigress staring after him, the confusion clear on her face.

He burst into his room and looked for ink and parchment. Maybe he could draw something and present it to Shifu. If Shifu liked it maybe he could get some construction animals to build it!

Leo sat down on his cot of a bed and began to brainstorm. He thought about the Wooden Warriors in the training hall. They only had one. Maybe he could get more! Or even a whole army!

Without even writing anything down, the lion ran out of his room, nearly tripping over the very red panda he was looking for. Leo skidded to a stop. Shifu gazed at him, confusion written clearly on his face,

"Tigress told me you were acting strange. Is something wrong?" Shifu asked.

"No! The opposite!" Leo exclaimed. Shifu looked slightly taken aback. Leo proceeded to tell Shifu of his idea. And once he started, he didn't stop. The words kept spilling out of his mouth, telling his master of all of his ideas.

Once the lion was finished, Shifu was stunned into silence. Once he found his voice, he spoke up, "How long have you been thinking of all of these ideas?"

"Well, I mean, some of them came to me just now, but think abou-"

"Leo Lung, if you want some of these things in the Training Hall, we can make it happen. But you will have to tell the construction workers what you want." Shifu smiled. Honestly, he liked some of the ideas.

Over the course of four months, the Training Hall got three new additions. Two of them were Leo's suggestions, while Tigress suggested the third. Leo had suggested the Army of Wooden Warriors, which the training animal would have to fight their way through, and the Seven-Talon Rings, which the animal would have to leap through, or they could get cut by the talon-like hooks lining the edges of the rings. Tigress, who wanted to suggest a training prop like her brother, simply suggested a Jade Bowl that two animals would have to balance and fight in.

Shifu liked the ideas and hired some more construction workers to implement the ideas. Leo was excited, especially for the Army of Wooden Warriors and the Seven-Taloned Rings. He didn't really know about Tigress's idea, but he kept an open mind.

But once the construction animals hung up the Seven-Talon Rings, Leo had second thoughts. Those hoops were tiny! There was no way he could leap through that and not get stuck. A frown creased his muzzle. The lion had assumed that Shifu knew to get rings large enough for him to at least fit through. But he did not let that ruin his day. He still had the Army of Wooden Warriors, or as Shifu called it, the Gauntlet of Wooden Warriors.

Leo spent the days experimenting different tactics of beating the Wooden Warriors, everything from simply running through to fighting each individual warrior. He enjoyed this much more than simply one wooden warrior. The Army of the Wooden Warriors presented him with a challenge- as opposed to the single warrior, which he could beat even if he wasn't trying.

He tried to leap through the Seven-Talon Rings, but quickly gave up on them after he almost hung himself. He tried not to remember the horror of leaping through one of the smaller rings and only his head fitting through. He got stuck and could not breath. He struggled and, when darkness started dancing near the edge of his vision, Leo summoned all of his strength and broke the ring into splinters, falling to the ground below. Thoroughly embarrassed and his heart still pounding from the terrifying experience, Leo counted his blessings that he was still alive and breathing and ended training for the day. He would leave the Seven-Talon rings to smaller animals like Shifu and Tigress, at least until Tigress grew too big for them. He also did not want to explain to Shifu why one of the rings was broken into pieces on the floor.

But once Tigress' Jade Bowl, or as Shifu called it, the Jade Tortoise of Wisdom, was finished, Leo was eager to try it out. Of course, being the one who thought of it, Tigress wanted to test it out with him. Leo had second thoughts, Tigress was still only a cub and was much smaller than him. He did not want to risk hurting her.

But his thoughts of hurting her quickly vanished as he leapt onto the edge of the inverted dome. The two cats balanced precariously on the edge. Leo, having bigger paws and weighing more than Tigress, had to be extremely careful about his footing. Every time he shifted his weight he risked either falling into the bowl or falling back and hitting the ground.

Leo slowly edged towards Tigress, keeping his balance as steady as possible. But, as he steadied himself, his confidence grew and he glanced up at Tigress, a smirk creasing his muzzle, "Ready when you are." He said, placing himself into a sparring stance.

Tigress smiled and crouched, leaping at her brother and landing a front kick to his chest. Leo, slightly winded, backed up, only to have one of his large paws slip off the edge of the bowl and the jade tortoise tilt dangerously close in his favor. Both of the felines wobbled slightly, but Leo managed to steady himself and Tigress quickly regained her footing.

As the spar continued, the two began to gain confidence in their movements. Instead of spending their time trying to secure a footing and balance themselves, they starting actually sparring with each other.

This continued for several days. As opposed to simply training against the Wooden Warriors of the Field of Fiery Death, he now spent a lot of his time on the Jade Tortoise of Wisdom, working on his balance and footing.

As Leo trained, he often imagined what else could be put into the Training Hall. But he quickly gave up on day-dreaming during training when he clumsily fell into the Jade tortoise and spent too much time trying to get out.


	15. The Blizzard

Three years later

Winter had come. The snows have arrived, but even Oogway could not predict how bad it would be. It was never this cold. Leo stood on the steps on the Jade Palace, the wind buffeting his body and tangling his mane. Leo gazed at the Valley, which was white with snow.

The doors behind him creaked open. Light flooded the area on and around Leo. The lion turned to see Shifu pulling the door open. The red panda looked up at him, confusion in his eyes,

"Leo?" He asked, having to project his voice to be heard over the wind, "What are you doing in this terrible weather? Come inside where it is warm."

"I am worried about the villagers. I fear they may not be safe."

"What do you mean?" Shifu asked, moving to stand next the lion.

"Will they be ok? I don't know think there has ever been a snowstorm this bad." Leo said, lifting his paw to shield his face as the wind sped up.

"Come inside! I can not hear you." Shifu said, turning and going back into the palace. The lion reluctantly followed, casting one last glance at the village.

As Leo came inside, he was greeted by Tigress, who was wrapped up in her robe that Leo got for her birthday several years ago. {That seems so long ago..} He felt a smile tug at his lips, then Shifu spoke,

"Why were you standing out there in the storm? It would taken only minutes before you froze to death."

"I understand. But the villagers are vulnerable to the snow. Their homes might freeze."

Shifu thought for a moment. Tigress, now eleven years old, looked at the lion. Her tail flicked as Leo gave her a curt nod in greeting. The red panda spoke up once again, the exhaustion obvious in his voice:

"I want both of you to go to bed. Tomorrow morning, in lieu of training, we will go to the village and help any villagers whose homes have been effected by the storm."

Leo nodded and smiled. That was a much better plan than waiting all night out in the cold to see how the citizens held up.

Both Tigress and Leo bowed to Shifu and headed off to bed. As the two approached their own dorms, Leo bid his adopted sister goodnight, and she to him, and they both went to their rooms.

Leo lay in his cot and listened to the blizzard outside. He prayed that the villagers would be alright. Soon the lion fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning

.

.

The lion awoke with a start. His first thought was the Valley of Peace. Without even stretching or rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Leo darted into the hallway outside of his dorm, bumping into Tigress.

"I'm sorry, kitt-"

"Why are you in such a rush?" She asked, looking up at him, her striped tail flicking in curiosity.

"The villagers! We must check on them." He stated hastily, even if sleepiness still made his voice heavy.

"Right." The adolescent said, swishing her tail and jogging downstairs to the courtyard to meet Shifu. Leo stood still for a second, stretching his muscles out and arching his back in a big yawn. He then followed the trail of the younger cat and arrived in the courtyard of the Palace. His mouth gaped at the sight before him.

The snow was all the way up to his mid-shins. Tigress was tall enough to still have her head and shoulders above snow, but Shifu was sitting on top of his cane just to be able to get above the crisp, white snow. Leo picked up Tigress gently and placed her on his right shoulder. She wasn't too heavy.

"I fear it may be as bad in the Village." Shifu wasted no time getting to the point, "Let's get to the villagers and see if any of them need help." He leapt on top of Leo's left shoulder.

With Shifu on his left shoulder and Tigress on his right, Leo made his way to the stairs and, extremely careful not to slip, he walked down the mountain. The stairs were not too slippery, thank goodness, but with the added weight of an adolescent tiger and elderly red panda on his shoulders, but Leo did not take any chances. He did not want overconfidence hurting his master and his sister.

As Leo finished walking down the mountain and arrived at the village, his fears were confirmed. The snow was at the same height here, if not taller. Many villagers were trying to push through the snow and clear the snow around their homes. Shifu spoke up,

"We need to start by clearing the snow from the roofs of peoples' homes."

Leo nodded. It would be a good idea to tell the home owner what they would be doing. In fact, it would be a good idea to tell the entire village what they would be doing. Leo grabbed a barrel that was resting above the snow and he leapt on top of it. The lion let out a low, hooting roar to gather the villagers. Many of them arrived in front of him, trying to push through the snow.

"Citizens of the Valley," Leo started, "Last night, there was a terrible blizzard. Master Shifu, Tigress and I will be going through the village aiding those who need it."

At that, many of the villagers began begging for help, insisting that their homes were about to cave in from the amount of snow on their roof. Leo tried to calm them down, then Shifu spoke up again,

"The villager's homes may be in danger of collapsing. We should get the snow off of their roofs so they do not have to fear being crushed by snow."

Leo relayed the plan to the villagers and, with that, the lion, tiger, and red panda leapt into action. It would be a very cold morning, but it would be worth it, that was for sure.

Tigress and Shifu stood on top of the roofs of the houses and pushed the snow down to Leo, who was waiting to catch some of the snow in a barrel. He scooped up most of the snow. Many of the villagers offered help by giving him barrels for their own homes.

Progress on the homes was relatively fast. The three Kung Fu warriors went from home to home, pushing the snow off of the roof and Leo catching as much as he could in a barrel. He let the villagers keep their barrel of snow. Once it thawed, it would provide with water that could be used for drinking or bathing.

Once the three finished, the Valley looked much better. Many of the villagers had provided their own barrels for the snow to be captured in. Therefore once the snow in the barrel thawed, they could use it for whatever they please.

There was still snow covering the roads and stairs. Leo knew not what plan Shifu had for the snow-covered roads. Apparently he didn't have one. Once all of the roofs of the homes were rid of snow, the three regrouped. The villagers thanked them all, presenting them with foods and other trinkets. The Kung Fu warriors kindly declined. They already have cooks to make them food.

As the trio ascended up the steps- more like Leo walked up the steps with Tigress and Shifu on his shoulders, and they arrived back at the Palace. Once they arrived at the top, Leo looked out over the village.

The village was definitely not as white as it was before. The roads and streets were still covered with snow, but now the homes of the villagers were secure. They did not have to worry about snow collapsing their house in. Shifu spoke up as he hopped off of Leo's shoulder,

"How about we start training? I would like to spar the two of you."

Leo's tail flicked with excitement. He loved training with Shifu, especially sparring. Maybe he and Tigress could outnumber Shifu and beat him. Even though he was happy to train, he knew that would not happen- the red panda was a powerful opponent despite his small size, but he kept his hopes up.


	16. The Furious Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are starting to get into the action! This takes place during Secrets of the Scroll, where the Furious Five first meet! For reference, Tigress is about 16 years old, Leo Lung is about 28, and Shifu is about 48 years old.
> 
> 5 years later. 10 years until Tai Lung's escape.

"Steady, strong! Keep your chin up, Tigress!" Sharp orders were barked out, "This is the way of Kung Fu!"

In the courtyard of the Jade Palace, Master Shifu and Tigress were training. Both animals stood with their backs straight as a board, their heads up and eyes staring forward.

Shifu had a determined, fierce look in his eyes, but Tigress looked apprehensive. She never questioned Shifu's teachings, but she wanted... more. Her ears flicked. Her tail twitched. It was like a primal desire, but instead of hunting or killing innocent prey animals, it was to fight villains. She wanted to fight villains with her own Kung Fu- not with this simple-stanced air-punching routine.

Tigress felt her adrenaline growing. She had to do something! She felt something growing in her. It wasn't anger, hate, or aggression, but it felt similar. {Containment!} She thought. {That's the word.} Tigress punched the air in front of her. She began thinking. Maybe if she showed Shifu just a little of what she could do. She did not want to be contained.

She wanted Leo. He would always tell her what would be the best thing to do. However, Leo was out running errands in the village. He could not save her now. She wondered what the lion would say. He would probably say something along the lines of 'Well, do you want Shifu to see what he wants to see, or do you want him to see you for who you really are?' Tigress mulled on that thought. A swirl of leaves blew in the wind above her. She hissed involuntarily.

"Control!" Shifu ordered, seeing that she was thinking about something instead of focusing on her punches.

Her palms opened and her claws unsheathed. She could not focus! She could not control! Shifu looked at her. Her tail flicked. Her pupils shrank to slits and a growl grew in her throat. Shifu frowned.

Tigress leapt up into the air, slicing each of the leaves above her into tiny pieces. Shifu watched from below. Tigress fell to the ground below, exhilaration replacing the adrenaline in her. She landed on all fours. Her slitted pupils grew round, and a grin creased her face. What a rush that was! Shifu, however, seemed to disagree.

"Tigress!" He scolded. "What are you doing?"

Her smile instantly fell. Tigress's ears pinned to her head in fear. Shifu continued to scold her, pointing out how she had no control and how she had no form.

"I'm sorry.." Tigress said softly, "I..I won't let it happen again!" She stared at the ground in shame while holding her paws in a salute. She wouldn't listen to imaginary Leo next time. She would just focus.

"I wish I could believe that." Shifu said, the disappointment and anger obvious in his voice. He was about to continue, probably to give her a punishment, but a large figure walked through the front gates. Tigress glanced out of the corner of her eyes.

It was Leo, her brother. He had bundles of food that he had bought from the village for the palace. He watched Tigress run for a little bit, before a palace attendant arrived to take the groceries out of his hands. Tigress, however, did not move to greet Leo. Shifu stared down at her, "One hundred laps around the courtyard. And do keep your knees up."

Tigress nodded, "Yes, Master Shifu!"

Leo Lung walked up to Shifu, "What is going on? Did Tigress do something wrong?" He glanced at her, watching as she jogged around the courtyard.

"Yes, she did do something wrong!" Shifu said, matter-of-factly, "She can not focus or control herself. She wants to do things her own way." The red panda said, angrily. Tigress watched out of the corner of her eyes, and her ears were angled towards the two. Leo frowned, watching helplessly as Tigress huffed as she jogged around the courtyard. Leo and Shifu began to walk towards Master Oogway, who watched quietly from the steps while sipping tea.

"As opposed to... your way?" Leo asked innocently.

"She can not learn if she does not focus." Shifu replied, climbing the steps to meet Oogway. The tortoise looked at him sagely.

"Tigress only wants to make you proud." Master Oogway said, looking at Shifu.

"Maybe I could be proud if she had correct form." Shifu replied, stubbornly. He watched Tigress, his eyes slightly narrowed. Leo moved to sit on the other sit of Oogway.

"She simply wants to deviate from the norm. Tigress does not like doing things...well.." Leo searched for the right word as he watched Tigress run.

"Doing things my way? The right way?" Shifu demanded, turning his head to stare at Leo, "Remember you were my student once, too, Leo. You still are. "

"Yes. But Tigress is not me. We are different."

"An acorn can only become a mighty oak, not a cherry tree. You must let young Tigress grow into what she will be." Master Oogway said wisely. Leo glanced sideways at the tortoise before nodding. It seemed that, no matter what, Oogway always knew what to say. Shifu looked thoroughly annoyed. It seemed that, once again, Oogway was right.

But Shifu did not have time to think it over, however, as a frantic dog ran into the courtyard, "Master Shifu! Master Shifu!" All three masters, and Tigress- who slowed her jogging and looked at the canine- shifted their attention to the messenger as he gasped for breath: "He is coming! He is coming!"

Shifu, realizing this was a serious situation, stood and quickly ran to catch the canine, who fell to his knees; "What? Who is coming?"

"A giant of a warrior!" The dog rasped, "He calls himself 'Boar'! He is unstoppable! He is invincible! He is defeating the Masters one by one! He is coming to the Valley of Peace. You," the dog stopped to gather his strength, "you and Master Leo Lung are the only ones who can stop him."

Leo Lung's ears pricked forward as Shifu's eyes widened. Leo stood and leapt to the bottom of the stairs. Tigress had stopped jogging all together, her eyes wide with horror.

"We must prepare." Leo said.

.

"I hold my ground. Steady, strong." Shifu said, "Boar will be here by morning. I have dealt with his kind before. Leo Lung, spar with Tigress. Keep her focused." Shifu ordered. Leo Lung, who was supplying rocks for Shifu to break, nodded. The lion beckoned over a goose, letting him take over helping Shifu train.

"Tigress," Leo advanced to her. Tigress, who was standing and punching in place, looked at him. "Care to fight?"

The tiger put up a fight, but Leo was still far more advanced that she was. He had no trouble pinning her to ground, putting her in a chokehold, or simply immobilizing her to where she could not fight back. However, while Leo fought, he noticed things about her. Her ears twitched, her tail flicked, and her muzzle curled to reveal her teeth. These occurrences, although they happened often, were quick. If he blinked he would miss them. Did they have anything to do with Shifu being angry about her lack of control or focus?

"He has been at this all day, hasn't he?" Oogway asked the two cats, walking up to them. He was referring to Shifu, who had been punching and destroying rocks all morning.

"Yes! He is amazing!" Tigress replied immediately.

"He certainly seems determined." Leo Lung said calmly.

"I will never be like him." Tigress muttered under her breath. Her tail flicked, but she quickly stepped on it. She glanced quickly, wondering if he had noticed.

"No. You won't." Oogway said bluntly, "Shifu. There is a matter of utmost importance." He said. Leo and Tigress's eyes widened as they stared at Oogway. Shifu did not stop training, however.

"What could be more important than training for battle?" He asked, glaring at Oogway.

"Let's order in." The tortoise said, holding up a paper menu with food on it. Tigress visibly brightened. Leo, who had just bought groceries hours earlier, sighed and shrugged. "Sure," he added.

.

Leo sat in a wooden chair. His fur was almost green with how sickly he was. His claws dug into the wooden frame of the chair. He could feel the sickness wrap around his stomach like rope. He felt so nauseous. The lion felt bile rise in his throat and he could not swallow it down. Leo leaned to the side grabbed a bucket, vomiting into it. Tigress watched helplessly from a distance, along with Oogway, who had no problem eating the soup.

Shifu, an unhealthy shade of green, stayed by his side, occasionally patting his mane when his body shook uncontrollably. Leo felt tears welling up in his eyes. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He had never been this sick before.

"What was in that food?" Shifu rasped. Leo's claws dug into the sides of the bucket. If he gripped the bucket any tighter, it was likely to splinter into a thousand pieces.

"We can not be like this!" Leo gasped. Shifu weakly wiped the lion's muzzle with a wet rag. Leo spoke, "Boar is coming! He will destroy the vil-" Leo was cut off as he stuck his head into the bucket, feeling the bile pour into the bucket.

Shifu motioned to a nearby goose. The goose waddled over. Shifu ordered the palace servant get Leo a new bucket. He would need it. The goose returned with a bucket and replaced it, breathing in through his beak and not even bothering to look inside it. Shifu, disregarding the goose's obvious discomfort, spoke to him before he left,

"There is a dangerous villain coming to the valley of peace. I have a scroll with four warriors from the Wang Fu village. Go and-"

"No, Shifu." Said Oogway, "Send Tigress."

"Master Shifu! I will not disappoint you!" The goose, lion, red panda looked over to see Tigress standing in front of Master Shifu. She fell into a bow.

"Kitten! Wang Fu is so far!" Leo rasped, his chest heaving.

"I can make it. I will recruit the warriors to defeat Boar!" She said eagerly, her tail twitching.

Shifu, his fur puffed up, thought it over. He looked at Leo, who was in no state to fight. Leo was going to be Shifu's back up. Now, both masters were in no state to fight villains, he had no choice. Shifu sighed. He handed the scroll to the tiger, and she looked up to him,

"Be back before dawn. Do not fail me." He ordered.

"I will not disappoint you Master Shifu." She said, jogging out of the door on her back legs. Leo looked at Shifu, who was coughing into his fist.

"Did you teach her to run like that?"

"Don't worry about it."

.

Tigress jogged out of the Jade Palace, eager to begin her mission. She had not been outside the Valley of Peace since she was an orphan. But she shook that thought out of her head. She did not look back on her days as an orphan.

Suddenly Tigress gasped. A needle stuck into her foot. Her fur prickled and, being caught off guard, she fell and dropped her scroll. She sharply inhaled as she watched the list tumble down the stairs.

Tigress looked down by her feet. There was a tiny praying mantis standing there.

"Oh, uh, pardon me. I'm here to see Shifu, I'm the, uh, doctor." The mantis said, grabbing the needle out of her foot. Tigress gasped and stood up,

"The list!" She jogged down the stairs quickly. She had to get the list before she lost sight of it!

As Tigress ran through the village, she scanned each building, street, and alleyway for the scroll. She could not lose it. It was imperative she had that list. Suddenly she saw it! It lay in the alleyway behind a noodle shop, and Tigress quickly grabbed it, beaming in happiness. Now she took off in the direction of Wang Fu, eager to start.

When Tigress arrived at the Wang Fu Kung Fu school, she opened the list. She had to know who she was here for. However, as she read it, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. A cleaner? Tigress concluded it must have been a code name. {Of course!} She thought, {They must use a code name so nobody can figure who it is! To any normal animal they would not know who it is!}

Tigress pushed open the door and looked inside. Many large rows of tough looking rhinos stood, punching the air in front of them while four young red pandas watched from a platform. Tigress ran up to the bottom of the stairs that led to the platform,

"Masters!" She began, catching her breath, "The Valley is in great peril. Master Shifu sent me here to recruit four warriors."

The four red pandas signaled for the rows of rhinos to halt their punches, and they looked at her expectantly. Tigress opened her scroll,

"I am looking for a-"

A door creaked open to her right. Tigress looked up, not paying much attention. But she saw a crane with a water bucket and mop.

"A cleaner?" Tigress looked slightly confused. She glanced at her scroll and back at him. The bird stammered and smiled nervously, his large beak forming a grin. Tigress closed her scroll and walked over to meet him, ignoring the strange looks she was getting from both the rhinos and the red pandas.

"Master cleaner, it an honor to meet you. Master Shifu has asked that you return with me to the Jade Palace. You are needed there."

At this, the crane's beak dropped, "The Jade Palace? YES!" He said excitedly. Then, quickly recomposing himself, "Yes. Of course I will go."

"Good! We must hurry!" Tigress said, jogging past the four red panda masters and the rhino army. The cleaner said something to the masters, but Tigress ignored it. They needed to get moving if they were to recruit everybody in time.

As Tigress and the crane exited the school, Tigress opened the scroll again,

"Let's see. Who is next?" She examined the scroll and the crane moved in to look, "The...comedian?"

.

"No! That is not a banana! That is my wife!" Monkey exclaimed, his eyes wide and grin on his round face. He loved delivering punchlines.

But the audience had different ideas. They began exclaiming how awful it was, and one patron even banged his head on his table.

"Ok!" Monkey said, whipping up a new joke in his head, "Two of us go into a bar-"

But before he could continue, the audience moved as one, in a rather panicked motion, towards the door. Someone even threw a tomato, but Monkey did not even see it.

Tigress and the cleaner, who has introduced himself as simply Crane, moved up to the dilapidated building. Right as Tigress was about to knock on the door, a flurry of sheep, bunnies, and geese stormed out. Tigress' eyes widened as she backed up.

As the people ran off, one she grabbed the lapels of her coat and spoke, panic obvious in his voice,

"Do not go in there! He is so ba-a-ad!" He bleated. He then pushed past her and ran away.

"Excellent!" Tigress smiled. The comedian must be in here. "Hello?" Tigress called out as she moved into the door way, "Master Comedian? I've been sent by Master Shif- ah!" The tiger gasped and backed up when a monkey hung upside down from the doorway.

"..Is everything alright?"

"Sure!" The monkey answered immediately, "I killed in there." He said, taking the scroll and reading it, "I can not read this. It is upside down." The monkey returned the scroll to Tigress.

"Master Shifu asked that you return with me to the Jade Palace."

The monkey gasped and fell to the floor, "The Jade Palace?"

"Master? Master Comedian? Will you come?"

.

Tigress's mission was nothing less than successful. The dancer, who was a young viper who looked no more than 15 years old, eagerly accepted. Her father, Master Viper who wielded dangerous venom, exclaimed how proud he was of her. Tigress frowned. Shifu never really told her how proud he was of her.

Tigress had left the dancer's home, frowning. Monkey had asked who was next one the list.

"What?" She had asked, "Oh! Yes." Tigress opened her scroll back up. Her brows furrowed and she looked up, "The doctor! Oh! He is already there!" Tigress exclaimed, remembering the mantis that was curing the ailing Leo Lung and Master Shifu. "Let's go!" Tigress exclaimed happily, jogging back towards the Valley of Peace.

But as Tigress ran on her hind legs, she felt Monkey coming up from behind. He looked at her and stood on his own hind legs, huffing just as she was. Tigress glanced at him. The monkey howled with laughed and fell back on all fours, racing ahead of her.

The tiger gazed upward and saw Crane, flying with skill and precision between the tree branches. Then the dancer, who was named Viper, slithered between her legs,

"Coming through!" The snake said, a grin on her face. She slithered quickly towards the monkey and crane, leaving Tigress behind. Tigress slowed to a stop. She gazed at her feet. How come every body else seemed to be so comfortable in their own body, but she was simply tall and lanky, running on two legs?

{You are not meant to be like Shifu or Leo. You are meant to be yourself!} A voice inside Tigress's head told her.

Tigress ran all the way to the Jade Palace. But she did not run on two legs, oh no. She was a tiger, not a red panda, not a lion, not a tortoise. She ran on all fours. She easily caught up to the other three masters.

There was a joy that Tigress felt building up in her as she ran. This was something new. Something she had never experienced while training. She gazed at the ground passing her by so quickly.

As Tigress looked up, she gasped. A large rock and dirt formation loomed above her, quickly approaching. She felt something inside her take over. Tigress leapt into the air, building up power in her forearms. Tigress roared and smashed through the dirt and rock with her palms.

But, glancing down, Tigress's eyes widened. She had just leapt over a cliff! A river waited below.

"Woah!" She cried as she fell below. But water never touched her fur. Tigress looked up and saw Crane had caught her and was carrying her in his talons. She saw Viper slithering gracefully over the water.

Crane flipped Tigress over and landed her on Viper's back, allowing Tigress to surf harmlessly along the water's surface. Suddenly, two large sticks surpassed Tigress, Viper and Crane. The three looked up Monkey was walking on the large sticks like stilts. Tigress laughed.

As the four animals made their way through a bamboo forest, Tigress laughed and leapt along the bamboo stalks. She had never had this much fun while training. Shifu seriously needed to learn to lighten up.

Tigress spoke up, "Now I know why Shifu chose you!"

"Really?" Crane asked, looking at her, "Why?"

"Because.." Tigress huffed for breath while she ran on all fours, "you are amazing!"

"Nice!"

"Thanks!"

"At this pace," Tigress said, "We will get there just in time!"

"Great! Can't wait!" Crane said.

The four ran back towards the Jade Palace. They would do it.

.

"Who are you all, again?" Leo rasped. Tigress stood in front of him and Shifu, with three other animals standing behind her. A snake, a bird, and a monkey. They did not even look like warriors.

Shifu stared in disbelief. Tigress beamed, "And with the doctor, we will have the four you requested! It was an honor to serve you!" She bowed happily. The praying mantis doctor was thoroughly confused. Shifu, on the other paw, was angry.

"Tigress, what is this?! These aren't the warriors!"

"Warriors? Where?" Asked the snake.

"You all are not warriors? Boar is coming! We must do something!" Leo growled. His growl ended in a guttural cough though.

"But..the list!" Tigress insisted, giving Shifu the scroll. Shifu opened it, took one glance at it, and snapped it shut.

"This isn't the list I wrote!" He growled. The red panda- or green, because of how sickly he looked- glared daggers at his apprentice.

"It..." Tigress hesitated. Her throat tightened, "It must be an accident!"

"There are no acc-" Oogway started. But Shifu stopped him before he could finish. He glanced at Master Shifu.

"Forgive me, Master!" Tigress fell into a bow. She stared sadly at the ground.

"Tigress, you need to understand that-" Leo breathed sadly. He wanted to help her, but with his terrible sickness and Shifu's stubbornness, it seemed unlikely.

"Silence, Leo. Let me deal with this." Shifu said. He glared at Tigress as he whispered lowly, "You disappoint me. Who will defend the Valley?" Tigress squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to cry. This was the biggest mistake she could have made.

"Maybe, we can help Tigress! We can fight..kind of." The bird interjected. The monkey and the snake agreed. They were eager to help.

"Well, I am not actually a doctor, so I am in!" The mantis said. Leo rolled his eyes.

"Except this isn't about fighting. This about defense. The Valley of Peace must be protected from this villain!" Leo insisted.

"Maaaster! The Boar!" A goat ran towards the group. "The Boar has been spotted in the Great Forest!" All of the animals went on high alert.

"You all need to go. For your own safety." Leo told the four animals.

"But Master Leo! Master Shifu!" Tigress pleaded, "They have skills! I have seen them!"

"They are not the warriors I sent for!" Shifu shouted at her. He coughed once, and gritted his teeth in anger. Tigress stared at Shifu in defiance, then caved. She bowed, and turned to the four animals that she had recruited,

"It was an honor to meet you. To meet you all. I am sorry" She said sadly. Shifu dismissed them all before turning to stomp into the Jade Palace.

.

Tigress stood on the edge of the forest. Her eyes were wide. She was wrong. She was all wrong. They were just..normal animals. They were just civilians! Not warriors! She would have to face Boar herself thanks to her incompetence. Tigress felt like crying.

{No. There is a villain. He wants to hurt me. He wants to hurt Shifu and Leo.} The tiger gathered whatever strength she had left and inhaled. Her tail twitched. Tigress gasped sharply as the trees suddenly exploded outward.

"I am Boar!"

Tigress's tail twitched in fear. Boar was huge! There was no way she could face this creature alone, despite her years of training.

"I hold my ground." Tigress said, "Steady. Strong. This is the way of Kung Fu." Tigress said, feeling the strength gather within her. This was how Shifu taught her. It had to work. Shifu and Leo were still violently sick. They could not help her now without putting themselves at risk.

The boar stomped up to her, towering over the adolescent tiger, "So, you are going to stop me? Ahahaha! Let's see!"

Tigress bared her fangs and punched the boar right in the chest. She flew backwards at least fifty feet. Tigress felt her fist throb. Tigress's eyes widened in fear. This creature had armor for skin!

"Is that all you got? I am disappointed!" Boar snorted, stomping up to her. Without missing a beat, he began assaulting her with punches. Tigress blocked the punches, trying to cover her head. She had to defend herself! She could not do this alone!

"I was expecting a challenge!" The creature roared, punching Tigress right in the chest and sending her flying.

.

Leo pushed the door to the Jade Palace open. He was still very sick, but he had stopped throwing up and had enough strength to walk outside. Shifu had followed him. Oogway greeted them both.

"We must help her!" Leo rasped.

"I must do something!" Shifu said at the same time. But Oogway moved his cane in front of the two, stopping them both.

"No, her destiny is not yours to control." He said sagely.

Leo made a noise, something between a gasp and a sob. He watched from the steps as the boar picked up Tigress and threw her into the air.

"NO!" The lion roared, "He will kill her!"

But Leo was surprised as Crane, the janitor bird, caught Tigress mid air and landed her near Viper, the dancer. Leo watched as Monkey, the comedian, ran up to the boar and used his long tail to bind Boar's hands together and punch and kick the Boar's face. Viper and Crane both worked together to batter the large foe as well.

Leo's gaze was averted as Tigress slowly rose. She snarled and leapt into the air, ripping her coat off to reveal her signature red top. She roared loudly: "I am Tigress!" Both Shifu's and Leo's eyes widened. This was a side to Tigress Leo never saw. Shifu was in disbelief. He did not know there was such power in Tigress's body. Maybe he should not have held her back so much.

Tigress roared and lunged at the boar, landing blow after relentless blow. Boar occasionally tried to counter but Tigress simply shrugged it off. The large, powerful boar was no match for the graceful, deadly tiger.

The mantis then grabbed the boar's face and held him still. Tigress yowled and punched Boar right in the chest, pushing him very far back.

Then, as one, all five of the animals charged at the boar. Altogether they twisted their hips, recoiled, and extended. All five animals, even the snake, landed a solid kick to the boar's torso and stomach.

Boar flew back, defeated and humiliated, and landed on his stomach. Tigress and the other four animals stood over their defeated enemy before turning back and returning to the Jade Palace.

Leo had never been so happy and proud of his adopted sister in his entire life. If he had the strength to, he would run all the way down the steps to meet her and congratulate her. And he did just that.


	17. Dreamers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As we count down to the start of the first movie, I am simply trying to fill in the years. I may have two more chapters that fill in the last five years before we start getting into some real stuff.
> 
> 5 years later. 5 years until Tai Lung's escape.

Leo Lung stood in the middle of the Hall of Warriors. He stood before the dragon hanging from the ceiling. The lion remained still, staring blankly ahead. His fully grown mane hanging around his neck. He wore his signature green robe with golden accents.

The door to the hall of warriors opened behind him. Heavy, slightly clumsy footsteps sounded behind him. Leo felt dread creeping up his spine, yet he did not turn around. His ears flicked and his tail twitched. He could feel a figure come up behind him. A large shadow overlapped his and he could feel the breath touch his mane. His heart pounded in his chest.

Gathering up his courage, Leo whipped around. The lion expected a large opponent, say, his brother, but who he saw was not a leopard or even a distinguishable animal. It was a creature enshrined in shadows. It was as big as him and had a slender torso with small arms. It almost resembled Leo Lung himself, except for the fact that it faded to nothing below the waist and had not tail. On the shadow creature's chest, where it's heart would be, was a grey stripe.

"Who..?" Leo could feel the words rolling off of his tongue but no sound came out.

The shadow animal sighed, almost wistfully, like it wanted to tell him something, and reached out to him with it's arm. Leo cocked his head with confusion. The shadow then floated backwards.

Leo had an urge to follow it, yet he wanted to stay in the Hall of Warriors. He felt like something would happen if he trailed the shadowy figure. So he remained put.

.

.

And with that, Leo was pulled back into reality. He was lying on his side in his cot. The lion's eyes opened and he looked around. The sun had not yet risen, it still dark in his room. The only light provided by the moon outside.

Leo swung his legs over his bed and stretched. His mouth opened in a huge yawn, and he sighed as he stretched his back. Leo stretched his arms above his head and felt his claws dig into the air.

The lion stood up from his cot and moved to his small desk, which had one drawer. Leo pulled the drawer open and he saw his golden and green robe. Donning the robe, Leo turned and strode to his door, ready to start the day.

He slid open the door and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. But when he entered, he stopped. Tigress was sitting there, her eyes half-lidded and her fur unkempt.

"Kitten? What are you doing awake so early?"

Tigress jumped suddenly, her eyes widening as she gazed at her brother, who was now standing in the doorway. Leo's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he took a seat across from her at the table. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth and flicked her tail.

"What is troubling you? Has something happened?" Leo pressed. He leaned forward, his ears pricked forward. As the silence continued, Leo jumped to conclusions- has someone been talking down to Tigress? Was someone gossiping about her? Leo felt his mane bristling at the very thought. But he forced his fur down. He did not want Tigress to see him becoming angry.

"I simply could not sleep. I tried to go to the Training Hall, but I still was not tired, so I came down here to think. But I can not sleep. Do you have any remedies?" Tigress said. Leo almost breathed a sigh of relief. It was simply a sleepless night. She was not hurting. Even though Tigress was about 21 years old or so, Leo still cared for her like she was a cub.

"Come with me. Oogway has showed me a place that can help calm me down in times of stress." Leo walked out of the kitchen, Tigress in tow. As the two cats walked outside the Palace, Tigress questioned where he was taking her.

"Do not fear. I have come here many times when I was younger. Not so much since I have returned, but I still think about it."

The two walked up a hill, and came upon what Oogway called the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. And Leo did not doubt it for a second. This tree has been standing since Oogway was a young warrior. The peaches it bore were magnificent, and his mane fluffed simply being in it's presence.

"I have heard of this place. I have always wanted to go, but I never had the time two, what with the Furious Five."

"Right." Leo said, kneeling down on his knees beside it. Tigress sat down beside him.

The two cats sat there for an hour or so and watched the sun rise. Leo inhaled deeply as the sun touched his muzzle and ears. He took a sideways gaze towards Tigress and was genuinely surprised by what he saw. The tiger was curled on her side, sleeping soundly. The sun was warming her striped fur, and her tail and paws twitched occasionally, as if she was in the dream world.

Leo was slightly surprised to see her like this. He did not think that one sleepless night would cause her to pass out like this. Has she not been sleeping for the last several nights?

The lion gently shook the tiger awake. Tigress yowled and leapt to her four paws, her tail lashing. Leo did not recoil. Instead, he pressed for answers,

"Have you been getting enough sleep these last few nights?" He said in a stern, yet gentle, voice. Tigress looked ashamed of herself. She gathered herself and sat on her rump. Her ears flattened lightly against her head and her tail curled.

"I have been scared these last few days. I had a nightmare several nights ago where Tai Lung returned and he...he killed the rest of the Five. Then he killed you and Shifu. He then scolded me for not being strong enough. He told me I failed to protect everyone I know and love. Then he killed me and I woke up. Every time I close my eyes I see it. I fear that if I go back to sleep, it will happen again.

I'm sorry, Leo. I know it is completely stupid to get worked up over something like this. I wanted to tell Shifu, but I feared that he would yell at me for worrying about a a simple dream."

Leo was silent. He had not dreamed of Tai Lung in at least a year, and even that dream was not so bad. His mane seemed to sag around his neck, and he felt sadness for Tigress. She has been suffering, and she never told anyone.

"I understand that can be hard for you. But I want you to listen to these words I have to say. I know how it feels to be haunted by actions and people of the past. I felt horrible guilt after Tai Lung went to prison. Somehow I had convinced myself that it was my fault. I had run away from home with the intention of going to see him, but now that I think about it, I believe I was running away from the guilt and sadness that burdened me.

But listen here. We can not alter the past. We can not run away from it. But we can change how we feel about it. Tai Lung is not in our lives anymore. We must not let him take a hold of our minds. Sure, he will appear in dreams when we are vulnerable, but never let him make you lose sight of what is truly important. You have friends and family here who care about you."

"Wow!" A new voice said from behind the two cats, "That was really deep!"

Both Tigress and Leo turned to see who it was. The rest of the Furious Five were gathered behind them at the base of the clearing. Crane was covering his beak and Viper had shushed him, but they were already spotted.

Leo chuckled, "Alright. Tigress, how about you sleep today? I will tell Shifu you are in no state to train today."

"Thank you, Leo. I appreciate it." The tiger smiled.

As the Furious Five and Leo Lung reached the Jade Palace, Tigress made a beeline for her room. She left Leo to explain to Shifu why she would sleep the day away. As soon as the tiger slid the door to her room open she felt sleep tug at her.

But, before she fell onto her cot, Tigress combed her fur down so her fur looked clean and she wiped herself down with a rag. She felt better already now that she had groomed herself. Then, without further hesitation, the tiger crawled into her bed and pulled the single cover up to her neck.

It did not take long for Tigress to fall asleep. When she did fall asleep, her dreams were not haunted by a certain snow leopard. And she had her big brother to thank for it.


	18. Mission Possible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am honestly really excited to start getting into the movie. I've decided that after the next chapter, we will get into the first movie! For reference, Leo is about 35 years old, Tigress is about 23, and Shifu is about 55 years old
> 
> 2 years later. 3 more years until Tai Lung's escape.

Leo sat under the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. His eyes were half-lidded as he stared at a small peach in his paw. Wonder clouded his mind as he rolled the peach around on his large paw. Leo unsheathed his claws. One of his claws poked the peach, and a bit of juice bubbled up where he punctured it. The fruit was so small, yet it was able to sprout into a large, brilliant tree such as the one he was seated under.

The lion gently placed the peach on the ground and stood up, his tail flicking as he inhaled the morning air. It would be a great day for outdoor training. A breeze picked up and blew past him, ruffling his brown mane slightly. Leo breathed deeply, smiling. Today would be a good day for training with Shifu and the rest of the Furious Five.

As Leo trotted down the steps, he was met by the messenger goose, Zeng. Leo smiled,

"Good morning, Zeng. Any news this morning?" He said, his voice carrying a cheerful as the morning light bathed his golden fur.

"Shifu sent for you! He says it is important!" Zeng said, slightly out of breath.

Leo's eyes narrowed. The peace of earlier was forgotten as the lion leapt over the bird, falling onto his four paws and haring towards the Jade Palace. If Shifu sent for him, claiming it was important, it must be an emergency.

The lion arrived at the Hall of Warriors, where Shifu was waiting with the rest of the Furious Five. Shifu was holding a scroll while the rest of the five read the contents of it. Leo stood upright, smoothed down his mane, and walked over to the six animals,

"What is going on?"

"We got a message from a village in the Southwestern Mountains. There is a village there. The villagers are being terrorized by a group of bandits. They are requesting help." Shifu said. He handed Leo the scroll to read.

Leo began reading the scroll and, sure enough, the scroll was a cry for help. It was signed by many of the villagers. But it did not specify how many bandits there were or what animal they were. As Leo continued reading, Shifu spoke up,

"I want The Furious Five to go. Leo, you will go as well. I want you to lead them. You will leave this evening."

"Yes Master." The six animals said in unison, each bowing to Master Shifu. As they left the Hall of Warriors, Leo turned and looked at each of the warriors and spoke,

"The Southwestern Mountains is a two days travel on foot, but we can get a boat and travel on the river and get there before noon tomorrow. Get some rest, we will leave once the sun touches the horizon."

The Furious Five bowed to him as well, and Leo dismissed them. The lion, as the five others went in their separate ways to prepare for the journey, decided that it would be good to pack food. Leo walked into the Jade Palace and made his way into the kitchen. He picked up a basket and placed it on the dining table. Leo packed fruit and other foods into the basket, being sure to get enough food for each of the Furious Five and him.

His ears twitched as he heard footsteps echoing down the hallway. They were slow, slightly heavy footsteps. Leo looked up just as Oogway lumbered into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Leo."

Leo smiled and nodded a greeting to the tortoise, placed several peaches from the Peach Tree into the basket next to some bread.

"I wonder..." Oogway started quietly as he walked to the table, "Your past remains behind you, but it has a habit of coming to mingle with the present." He said, looking into the food basket.

The lion looked up and fixed his gaze on the Grandmaster. Was he talking about Tai Lung? The name sounded almost foreign in his mind. He had not heard that name in a long time. Many animals chose to leave the past behind them. It was good to do that, as it brought horrid memories back to haunt both Shifu and Leo.

Leo remembered when Tai Lung was sent to prison. He remembered when he visited the snow leopard in prison. The fire in his eyes golden had seemed dull, like he had nothing left in his life. As whatever fire the snow leopard had left had been trampled and snorted out by the rhino guards. Leo remembered. The golden lion growled and shook the memories from his head. He glared at Oogway,

"I don't mean any disrespect, Master Oogway, but I don't need to be reminded that my brother is a criminal."

"Did I say anything about Tai Lung?" The tortoise gazed at Leo, a sagely gleam in his eyes. Leo cocked his head to the side, slightly confused. Leo felt his fur heat up. He had instantly assumed that Oogway was speaking of his brother. But Oogway was right, as always. The lion had simply jumped to conclusions. If Oogway was not talking about his brother, then what did he mean? {He is simply thinking out.} The lion thought to himself, returning to packing the food, {He may be referring to something in his own past.} Leo smiled as he came to the conclusion.

The asiatic lion looked down at the basket of food. The basket contained enough food to last each of the Furious Five members for 5 days, assuming they rationed it out correctly. It certainly was not a feast; but then again, they never did feast at the Jade Palace- simply eating what they needed to survive. But peaches, bread and rice would be a nice change of pace to the noodle soup they ate every day at breakfast and dinner. {Hopefully the bandits that are terrorizing the village haven't cut off the villagers food supply.} Leo prayed.

Leo had lost count of how many bandits he had dealt with since he had returned to the Jade Palace. Starting a few years back he and one of the member of the Furious Five would go out once or twice a month into the Valley and deal with criminals, whether it be murderers and rapists or even the common hoodlum and thief. The villagers greatly appreciated these acts, and Leo, as well as the Furious Five, enjoyed these trips into the Valley. It provided a nice break from training and also let the animals in the Valley know that the masters at the Jade Palace were there to protect them.

.

As dusk approached, Leo had gathered the basket of food he packed and left the Jade Palace, meeting the Furious Five and Shifu in the courtyard. Shifu glanced at the basket the Leo carried and nodded. He spoke up,

"I have arranged a boat for you all. Meet him on the banks of the river, and he will take you to the village. Now go. The longer those bandits control the village, the worse."

All six animals bowed in unison to Shifu, and they all left the Palace. As the Kung Fu master descended down the steps, Crane spoke up,

"Let me carry the food, Leo, so you can run faster."

Leo nodded in gratitude and passed the basket onto Crane, who took the basket in his talons. Even with his skinny legs, he had no trouble carrying the basket. Leo, now free of his burden, dropped onto all fours and ran to the front of the group. As they entered the Valley, Leo leapt onto the rooftops of buildings and leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

"What are you doing?" Tigress asked him.

"It will be easier to find the boat if we have higher ground." Leo answered.

With that, the rest of the Furious Five made their way to the rooftops. Leo spotted the glimmer of the moonlight reflecting off of the river water in the distance. He leapt from house to house, careful not to slip on the steep shingles, and the Furious Five followed. As Leo grew closer to the river, he spotted the boat on the water. It was tied to a post. It wasn't large, but it would hold the six of them until they reached the village, and hopefully on the return voyage as well.

Leo leapt from the rooftop and ran the remaining distance to the boat and the river. As he approached, an animal exited the boat and spotted them. It was a ram with dark fur and horns.

"Y'must be the warriors Shifu sent t' save the village 'n the mount'ns." The ram said, looking at the six animals

"Indeed," Leo replied, "but we must hurry. We can not afford to waste time on small chatter."

The ram grunted, motioning for the six to come onto the boating vessel. As the Furious Five boarded, Leo turned and looked at them all,

"Get some sleep now. We won't get there until late tomorrow morning, and we will need our strength."

"The sleeping quarters are over there." The ram motioned to a room to Leo's left. As the animals made their way to the sleeping quarters, the captain began to untie the boat from it's post. The current began carrying the ship downstream and towards the village. Leo walked to the edge of the boat and stared at the water. It was beginning to get dark, and a wind blew through his mane, causing him to shiver slightly.

"Y' better getcha some sleep now." The ram said. Leo turned and looked at him. "I heard them bandits was pretty tough, 'n you might need your strength."

"I know. I was just thinking." Leo said, turning and making his way to the sleeping quarters.

The rest of the Furious Five were already sleeping on their own cots, and Leo saw a space available to him between Tigress and Monkey. Leo lay down on the cot, and closed his eyes. Hopefully tomorrow morning would not be so bad.


	19. Battle of Weeping River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter, we will get into the first movie. I am super excited for it! I hope you guys are too.

The gentle rocking of the boat woke the sleeping lion before the Furious Five. Leo blinked his golden eyes open. The lighting was dark in the sleeping quarters, and the gentle snores told Leo Lung that he was first to wake.

Violet and golden light filtered through the door of the sleeping quarters. Leo yawned, pulling his lips back to reveal his white teeth. Leo stood up and gently stepped over the rest of the sleeping warriors. As Leo made his way to the door, his eyes landed on the basket of food that he prepared for the trip. The lion opened the basket and pulled out a loaf of bread. Leo used one of his claws to slice the bread, leaving most of the loaf for the rest of the Five. This would be his breakfast. He gently creaked open the door and slipped through.

They were still in the mountains. The sun was just starting to rise. He could see the sun just peeking beyond one of the mountains. Leo walked over the edge of the boat and looking over. His reflection gazed back at him. Leo ate some of his bread while examining himself. His mane was slightly ruffled. He frowned. He would have to comb his mane once he got back to the Jade Palace.

Looking around, Leo could see the ram, the captain, was steering the boat along the river. Leo walked up the stairs and met the captain, who nodded to him in greeting.

"You were up all night?" Leo asked. Even though he appreciated the captain steering the boat through the mountains, he hated that he was not getting any rest. The ram nodded and spoke to the lion,

"The wind was with us last night. We made more progress than I expected. We should arrive at the village any minute now." The ram said, bleating with what seemed like laughter.

"Any minute now?" Leo said, looking at the captain, "I need to wake up the Five, then." He exclaimed.

"We are already awake!" Monkey said. Leo looked over and saw that the Furious Five were already awake. They began to gather on the deck, looking around to the mountains and on the river.

"Are we close to the village?" Viper asked, looking up towards the sun.

"Yes." Leo answered, walking past them and into the sleeping quarters. He grabbed his food basket and walked back out. He handed each of the warriors some bread and a peach for their breakfast. He spoke up as everyone ate, "The ram told me that the wind was with us last night. We made more progress than originally thought. We should arrive at the village any minute now."

"Speaking of the village," The ram said, "look ahead."

The six warriors moved to the front of the boat. Lo and behold, a building glinted in the morning sun. As the boat grew closer, more buildings came into view. Leo inhaled deeply. They had arrived at the village.

.

.

As the boat pulled up to the shore, the six warriors leapt off of the boat. The captain remained on the boat. They were met by a rabbit with white fur and brown splotches.

"You must be the warriors of the Jade Palace." He said, his voice quiet.

"Yes." Leo answered, "Where are the bandits that you called us here for?"

"That's just it.." The rabbit said, "They are running this village now. Come with me."

The seven animals walked- no, they sneaked- through the village. The rabbit waited until no animal was even in the streets, and he led them behind buildings, carts, and bushes. Leo found it odd. Did these bandits have such a grip on the village that they could not even be seen in the streets? Leo whispered to the rabbit, who was in front of him, as they hid behind a shop,

"How bad is it?"

"They have eyes everywhere. The bandits pay villagers to rat out those who plot against them. We can't trust anybody at this point. It is said that when a young goose told on it's parents, the village sobbed so hard the water in the river was replaced with tears. That is why we call the river 'Weeping River'."

When the Kung Fu masters arrived at the rabbit's house, the rabbit shoved them inside and slammed the door shut behind them once they were all in the room. He spoke in hushed tones, as if he were afraid someone would hear,

"The bandits came a few months ago. We didn't think much of them, as they only stole a few replaceable trinkets. But they kept coming back after that. There are so many of them, and we are afraid to stand up to them."

"Ok, take us to them. I want to speak with their leader face to face." Leo growled. The rabbit's eyes grew to the size of small bowls.

"Leo is right." Tigress added, "We are not to be underestimated."

"We deal with bandits all the time!" Said Mantis, who was perched on Monkey's shoulder.

The rabbit, clearly outvoted, heaved a heavy sigh. He moved past the fighters, and opened the door. Leo looked at the Five, and nodded. He mouthed for them to stay alert, and they followed the rabbit into the streets.

As the rabbit guided them along the streets, Leo gazed around at nearby building, trying to spot any forms of life in the village. Eventually, the seven crested a hill and arrived at a large building. The building was dark and big enough to challenge the Jade Palace in size. There was a large open space in front of the building. It was simply dirt, no stone or marble. Leo lashed his tail at the informality of the place.

"They reside here. But I can't help you any more or I will get killed. Good luck, warriors. You may need it." The rabbit knocked on the door then dashed away, presumably back to his own house.

Leo turned and looked at the Furious Five, "Remember, we are here to get the bandits out of the village. If we can get them out peacefully, then so be it. If we must defeat them in battle, then so be it. Violence is not always th-"

The door opened outward. Leo glanced at the rest of the Five, then turned and entered. The rest of them followed suit. The door closed behind them. Two weasels, small but mean-looking, glared at them. Leo was confused. If all of the bandits were weasels, then this would be easier than he thought. These weasels were no bigger than his forearm. One well-aimed blow would do them in.

"Ye must be them fighters sent to save this here village." The larger weasel said. He was apparently not scared of the masters who stood before him.

"I want to speak to your leader." Leo said, projecting his voice so that it rang throughout the building.

"Heheh." The smaller weasel chuckled, "He wants to see ye, too. Follow us. And don't ye try anything stupid." The two weasels beckoned them in. Leo followed the two, beckoning the five to follow him.

"Are these the bandits? This battle will be easy!" Viper whispered to the rest of the masters.

"Don't assume they are weak just because they are tiny." Leo hissed quietly. He could see Mantis nod approvingly in his peripheral.

After rounding a few turns, they arrived at what Leo could only guess was a throne room. And one that throne sat a large alligator. His teeth glittered in the light, and his throne was flanked by two wapiti, their antlers looked like branches of the iron wood trees back at the Jade Palace.

Leo's eyes flitted around the room, and he saw many more animals in the shadows. All types of animals, from rabbits and rats to several rhinos, whose horns were sharpened to a dangerous point. Leo narrowed his eyes as he shifted his gaze back to the crocodile who glared at them from his throne.

"Who are you?" Demanded the reptile, his lips curled to showcase his teeth. He had a deep, baritone voice. Leo strode up to the middle of the room, standing straight and tall. At his full height, Leo was certainly a sight to behold. The lion flexed his paws, feeling his claws resting in their sheath. He hoped he would never have to use them.

"I am Master Leo Lung. This is Master Tigress, Viper, Crane, Mantis, and Monkey." He gestured to each of his partners, "We come from the Jade Palace in the Valley of Peace. We have been sent by the citizens of this village to ask you to leave. Whether you want to leave peacefully or defeated in battle is up to you."

The crocodile was silent for a moment. Then he abruptly burst into laughter. The rest of the animals in the room followed suit.

"You think I will simply leave like that? You must be mistaken, Leo Lung of the Jade Palace." The crocodile then shifted in his seat, so that he was facing his army of animals, "I do not wish to look at them anymore. Kill them."

Leo fell into a fighting stance. The animals swarmed in on them, surrounding the six warriors. Leo tried to land a roundhouse kick to the nearest animal-an antelope- but he could barely lift his foot off of the ground due to the vast amount of animals in the room. The room was flooded with creatures of all kinds! It was next to impossible to even move. There must be more animals hiding out somewhere, waiting to join the battle. Thinking quickly, Leo roared an order back to the Five, "Retreat!"

"What?!" Tigress yowled at him, the confusion obvious in her eyes.

"We need to get to more open space. There is no room to fight in here! Bring them outside, and we can fight them out in the open!"

The Five nodded, and retreated towards the door, fighting their way through. Leo turned and followed. He could hear the crocodile demand for his army to follow them and kill them. Leo fell onto all fours, pushing his legs to run towards the entrance as fast as he could. Tigress fell in sync beside him, and the other warriors followed closely behind. The two weasels who guarded the door squealed at the sight of the five animals barreling towards them.

Not bothering to battle or argue with them, Leo reared back and swiped them to the side with a snarl, sending them flying off to the right. Leo pushed open the door, and light flooded the hall. Leo leapt onto the open space in front of the building, pivoting to turn and face the door. Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Crane, and Viper all joined him, readying themselves to face the opponents.

The rhinos came first. They charged out of the building, a bellowing mess. There were only four of them, compared to the six Jade Palace warriors. But Leo did not underestimate his enemies. One of them charged at Leo, his sharp horn lowered, hoping to trample or impale the lion. Leo dodged out of the way, landing a vertical knife-hand to the scruff of the rhino's neck. Leo then leapt onto the rhino's back and, holding onto the rhino with a chokehold, began to pummel him with his legs. The rhino began to toss his weight from side to side, hoping to dislodge the lion off of his back. But Leo wouldn't give, and kept delivering blows with his legs and hind claws.

A sudden force rammed into Leo's flank as he held onto the rhino. Leo glanced behind him and saw that more of the crocodile's army had come outside. The Furious Five were battling viciously: Mantis and Monkey were taking on two rhinos, using teamwork and their smaller sizes to outmaneuver their opponents. Tigress was handling the fourth rhino and several antelope at the same time, her grace and power allowing her to battle multiple opponents with ease. Crane was battling several foxes, his wings allowing him to fly above the battle and attack from above. Viper was using her flexibility to weave between her foes, using her whip-like tail to attack opponents and retreat safely out of harm's way before they could retaliate.

Now, a muntjac was trying to ram Leo off of the rhino's back with his horns. Leo stopped his barrage, instead tightening his chokehold, on the rhino and kicked the antelope in the chest, then once again in the head. The muntjac fell onto his rump, yelped and ran off, hopefully out of the battle. The rhino collapsed underneath Leo. He was not dead, thankfully, but Leo left him in search of a new opponent.

He watched as several weasels, similar to the ones manning the door, charged at him. The lion fell all fours and roared in their direction, his teeth gleaming in the light. The weasels slowed, but did not stop. As the small animals charged at him, Leo reared backward. He swiped one weasel out of the way, sending it rolling head over heels into the battle

Two more weasels leapt onto the lion, biting and hanging off of his pelt. Leo snarled. He reached around behind him and grabbed one of the creatures. He yanked it off of his pelt, along with several of his own hairs, and flung him into the distance. One more weasel hung onto his back, digging his teeth and claws into his pelt. Leo growled and leapt onto his back. The weasel squeaked quietly, the wind knocked out of him. Leo rolled off of him and the weasel heaved himself onto all fours. The lion watched as the weasel limped out of the battle.

The battle raged on for at least another hour. Leo and the Furious Five battled the army viciously. Leo had battled all different kinds of creatures. The animals just kept coming. Towards the end of the battle, the crocodile, commander of the army, emerged from the building. Because the battle was still ongoing, none of the fighters noticed him at first. It was not until several of the reptile's own fighters stopped and gazed at him. Mantis and Monkey noticed this, and slowly the battle grinded to a halt.

Leo moved in front of the crocodile, ignoring a bleeding wound on his side as he addressed the crocodile,

"We have held against your army. This is your last warning: Leave now and we will let you leave with your dignity." He said loudly. Many of the villagers heard this, as they gathered on the outskirts of the battle to watch in awe.

The crocodile was silent. He glanced at what remained of his forces. Many of the bandits had already retreated somewhere in the mountains, and now only about a hundred of his most loyal followers remained. The crocodile's tail swept across the dirt, and he walked over to Leo. The Furious Five watched intently, ready to spring back into action at a moment's notice.

Leo stood his ground as the crocodile advanced towards him. He had never fought a croc before, but he heard their skin was rough, like armor. This would be a battle he would never forget. The reptile snapped his jaws across the air, hoping to bite Leo's muzzle. Leo dodged out of the way, leaping into the air and landing behind the crocodile. Leo tried the same strategy he did with the rhino at the start of the battle- use a chokehold until he gives in.

But as Leo held onto the reptile's neck, the crocodile immediately collapsed on the floor and began rolling around, trying to dislodge the lion. The croc snapped his jaws in the air, his thick, heavy tail lashing. Leo felt the crocodile's sharp claws dig trenches along his forearm. The lion roared in pain, his grip on the crocodile's neck loosening. Taking the advantage, the crocodile snapped his head back, hitting Leo square in the muzzle. Stunned and hurting, Leo let go of the reptile and backed up, surveying the situation now.

Even though he had had the crocodile in a chokehold, Leo had done no real damage. He glanced at his left arm. Four red scratch marks ran his elbow to his wrist. Leo glared at the crocodile, roaring a warning. The crocodile growled menacingly in return. The two animals leapt at each other. Leo grabbed the crocodile's shoulders and pinned him to the ground. But, instead of feeling the tough, scaly armor, Leo simply felt soft skin. {The croc's underbelly is not as tough as the rest of his body!} But, while Leo was distracted by this epiphany, the reptile reached up with it's legs and scored claw marks along Leo's stomach with it's hind claws. Leo roared in pain, and the crocodile reached up with his long jaws and grabbed Leo's mane, shaking viciously.

The world blurred as the crocodile shook the lion in it's jaws. Leo tried to inhale but he couldn't. The crocodile rolled the two in the dirt. The lion opened his mouth, trying to get any air into his lungs. Leo gasped for air as the crocodile shook him in his jaws like a rag doll. {He's going to kill me if I don't do anything!} Acting quickly and doing the only thing that Leo thought to do, he unsheathed his claws and lashed out at whatever was in front of him.

The vice-like grip on his neck loosened significantly and Leo wrenched himself out of the crocodile's jaws and recoiled back. He held his stomach, praying that nothing vital had been in the way of the crocodile's sharp claws. Leo gazed in front of him at the scene before him. He had struck the crocodile across the throat. The croc's eyes were glazed over and his mouth hung open. Leo's eyes widened as the crocodile fell to the ground. He had killed him.

The hours after that seemed to be a blur to Leo. The rest of the bandits had retreated, and the villagers rejoiced that the tyranny of the crocodile was overthrown. Tigress said something to Leo, but he did not hear. The shock of ending another animal's life, no matter how evil it may have been, hit deep in the lion's soul. Eventually the Furious Five made their way back to the boat. The land blurred around the lion, and he was not even aware he was walking, or where he was walking to.

The ram had welcomed them back, but Leo did not seem to notice. The ram cast off, but Leo was not aware. He stayed up all night sitting on the edge of the boat, staring blankly at his reflection. He completely ignored the wounds on his arm and stomach. 'Murderer' was all he could think when he stared at his reflection. The Furious Five tried to comfort him, but even Monkey's silliness or Viper's kindness could not erase the image of the crocodile falling to the ground, his lifeblood staining the dirt red. Leo looked at his right paw, seeing the blood of the crocodile on his claws and pad. Leo growled and plunged his paw into the water, hoping to wash the blood off of his paw.

Leo pulled his paw back. However, the blood was dried and most of it remained. Leo nearly shouted and scraped his paw against the boat. Tigress, who was silently watching, approached him. She sat beside him. Leo's wild, fearful eyes cast onto her and Tigress felt her heart crack. 

"Here, let me." She gently took his paw. Leo's body stiffened as she slowly put his hand into the water and scrubbed the blood off of his fur. Leo was silent, and he was still tense. When the red blood was replaced the golden fur underneath, Tigress let go of his paw. Leo stared in amazement and wonder. Tigress spoke, "If you want to talk, please talk to me."

Leo took a shaky breath, "Go to sleep, kitten. I am fine." Tigress seemed skeptical, but she still up and left.

The boat ride home seemed endless. The scenery around him moved slower than the sun in the sky. Leo sat on the edge of the boat. His breathing was quick and the image of the crocodile falling to the ground replayed over and over in his head.

When the boat arrived at the Valley of Peace, Shifu was there to greet them, as well as several of the villagers who had heard of their journey- such as a large panda who worked in a noodle shop. Leo paid them no mind. They did not know he was a murderer. He hoped to keep it that way. But when Shifu's eyes landed on the lion, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw the state Leo was in- scratches covering his body and sleepiness obvious in his eyes.

So Shifu took him to the infirmary, where he told his master everything, from the small rabbit all the way up to him taking a life. Shifu was proud of him, explaining that if he had not killed the crocodile he would most certainly come back to claim his revenge. Shifu has shifted in his seat, patting Leo's brown mane,

"I am proud of you Leo. You did the right thing. Leaving the crocodile alive would be dangerous."

{I guess that is better.} Leo thought, as darkness danced at the edge of his vision. Leo leaned back on the cot in the infirmary. Shifu, seeing that Leo was about to pass out, left him in the care of the doctor. Leo, seeing Shifu leave, weakly reached out for him. He was out cold before his arm fell.


	20. Oogway's Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3 years after the Battle of Weeping River.

It was a beautiful day. The skies were clear. A large village that lay in the valley of a mountain was peacefully quiet. That village was named the Valley Of Peace, as the villagers were kind and trouble was not a frequent or welcome guest. That was because it was protected. Protected by amazing masters of Kung Fu, who have spent years of their lives training on the very mountain that shadowed the village.

On the top of that mountain, a large building stood majestically. An asiatic lion lay on his stomach on the branch of an ironwood tree. One of his legs and his tail dangled lazily off of the branch, and he placed his head on one of his paws as he let the gentle music of a wooden flute fill the air. The lion, who was mature with rippling muscles and a brown mane with hints of gold, shifted his weight carefully on the branch and gazed below him. He spied a red panda below him. This red panda sat cross-legged, the wooden flute held in his delicate paws. His eyes were closed and he was playing as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

The lion was just about to drift into a light slumber when, without warning, a long, green snake lunged at the red panda from one of the pillars of the building, her mouth gaping open. At the very same time, a large bengal tiger and golden snub-nosed monkey leapt off of the roof of the nearby building, launching themselves towards the red panda. A black and white crane launched himself into the air behind and dive-bombed towards the panda, his talons outstretched. A small, but fast, preying mantis leapt off of a beam on the roof towards him as well. The red panda was hopelessly outnumbered 5 to 1.

But as the animals each closed in on the flute-playing red panda, the lion simply watched idly. Even as the panda stopped playing and his eyes flew open as the animals leapt at him, the lion did not even lift a claw to help. In fact, the lion's interest grew as the small red panda began to evade and deflect the attacks. The six animals battled ferociously. The lion, even though the fight was not yet over, already had formed an idea about who would come out as the victor.

Up in the ironwood tree, the asian lion shifted his weight so that he had a better view of the battle, but he was careful as he did not want to fall into the battle. The red panda used his flute as a staff to block each and every attack, despite the fact that the five animals attacked from every possible angle. Then, to the lion's dismay, the fight was over as quickly as it began.

The red panda, even though he was outnumbered and surrounded by the five animals who attacked them, placed his cane down and addressed all five animals, who were panting and gazing at him, waiting for him to speak,

"Well done, students! If you were trying to disappoint me!" The red panda, who went by the name Shifu, exclaimed. He picked his cane up and pointed to the bengal tiger, who had her paws together in a salute, "Tigress! You need more ferocity!"

At that, the bengal tiger, who was named Tigress, looked tired and defeated. But, nonetheless, she bowed her head to Shifu, who had already moved on to the golden snub-nosed monkey,

"Monkey! Greater speed!" The monkey, who was simply called Monkey, did not share Tigress' look of tiredness and defeat. He held his long arms together in the same fashion as Tigress, and bowed his head in respect, also as Tigress did. Not wasting any time, Shifu moved onto the next warrior in line, the lanky bird.

"Crane! Height!" Shifu scolded. The bird, also only called Crane, quickly cast his gaze downward. Like the rest of the warriors before him, his forearms, which were also his wings, were held steady in front of him in a salute. He also bowed his head in respect to his master.

"Viper! ...Subtlety." Shifu said pointing his cane at the green serpent, a bit slower and emphasizing the 's' in 'subtlety'. The green snake, named Viper, bowed her head. Because she lacked limbs, her body was bent in a way similar to that of a salute that the other warriors before her performed.

"Mantis-" The red panda moved on to critique the insect's performance,

"Master Shifu!" A new voice proclaimed. The lion up in the tree narrowed his eyes, moving so that he could see who it was that was interrupting the training session. It was a goose. But not just any goose. It was Zeng, the messenger goose that worked for Shifu.

"It is Master Oogway!" The goose exclaimed. At this, the lion's ears perked up. He stood on all fours on the tree branch and leapt nimbly and gracefully to the ground. He landed beside Shifu, and stood on his back legs.

When standing at full height, the lion towered over Shifu and Zeng. Tigress was the second tallest animal in the group, and she only reached his shoulders. Shifu was only as big as the lion's forearm. The praying mantis, the smallest of the animals, was barely the size of one of his fingers. The lion fixed his eyes on the goose, who was nervously looking at the large lion. But Zeng gulped and turned to face Shifu.

"He wants to speak with you and Leo!"

Master Shifu and the lion, named Leo, both widened their eyes in surprise. Shifu quickly dismissed the other five animals and ran towards one of the buildings. Leo jogged after him. Master Oogway the Wise never usually sent for them like this. It must be an emergency.

Several other geese who worked for Shifu opened a large set of double doors that led to a vast hallway of a room. Both the lion and red panda ran towards a structure towards the end of the hallway. That structure was a long, wooden staff with a tortoise shell on top of it. Master Shifu calmed himself, steadying his breath and bowing to the tortoise shell. The lion did the same, kneeling on one knee and lowered his large head in a bow whilst glancing apprehensively at the shell on the staff.

"Master Oogway. You summoned us. Is something wrong?" Shifu asked, looking up towards the shell.

When Shifu's words echoed throughout the hall, the shell began to move. A clawed foot appeared one the right side of the shell. Then another on the other side. The shell began to bend over, revealing a small, scaly head that fit snugly in a fork at the top of the staff. The tortoise began to climb down the staff in a mystic, graceful way. Leo and Shifu released their bows, and Leo stood on both of his feet again.

"Why would something be wrong for me to want to see my old friends?" The tortoise asked, his feet touching the ground.

"So..." Shifu's gaze followed the tortoise as he made his way towards a row of candles, "Nothing is wrong?" He asked.

"Well," Master Oogway looked at both the lion and the red panda, "I did not say that." As the tortoise approached one of the candles, he took in a tiny breath and blew.

Both Leo's and Shifu's eyes widened in surprise. The two animals glanced at each other. They approached Oogway, who was trying to feebly blow out the candles. He inhaled and blew on a candle, yet it would not extinguish. This went on for some time. Master Shifu, quickly losing his patience, extended his arms quickly, using a trick to quickly blow out each and every one of the hundreds of candles with ease and precision.

"You were saying?" Shifu said, tilting his head.

Oogway who was slightly amused, grew serious and turned to the lion and the red panda, "I have had a vision." Oogway turned his gaze to the lion, "Tai Lung will return."

Leo froze, his eyes widening. Tai Lung, the deadly snow leopard. He felt his throat tighten and his claws unsheathe. He remembered those gleaming golden eyes. Those evil eyes. An involuntary snarl escaped the lion's lips.

"That is impossible!" Shifu said, his eyes wide, "He is in prison!"

"Nothing is impossible." Oogway said sagely, his facial features drooping in sadness. He understood how hard this was for Leo and Shifu. Tai Lung the snow leopard had put them through a lot. Leo felt his chest tightening in paranoia. Shifu, almost having a full-blow panic attack, turned and called out,

"Zeng!" Shifu summoned for the messenger, "Fly to Chor Ghom prison! Tell them to double the guards! Double the weapons! Double everything! Tai Lung does not leave that prison!"

"Yes Master Shifu!" The goose took off quickly. As he ascended, the goose clumsily bumped into a pole, letting out a honk. But Leo and Shifu both ignored it. Leo opened his mouth, about to speak, but Oogway spoke first,

"One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it."

"Master," Leo spoke for the first time, "This can not be true. Tai Lung will not escape, will he? He will take his revenge and hurt many innocent citizens!" His mane prickled in fear. The snow leopard was sent to prison twenty years ago, but memories that Leo longed to forget began to haunt him.

"You and Shifu both have many questions. Your minds are both like this water, my friends. When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see."

Master Oogway led the two animals to a pool at the end of the hall. The water was rippling, and flower petals littered the surface. It was hard to make out a reflection. The tortoise then dipped his staff gently towards the surface. All three animals gazed into the pool.

"But if you allow it to settle," Master Oogway touched the tip of his staff to the water's surface. A single ripple appeared, clearing away the debris and flower petals.

"The answer becomes clear..." As the water finally settled, the image of a dragon appeared in the pool.

Leo, Shifu, and Oogway all gazed upwards. A beautiful golden dragon gazed down at them from the ceiling. The dragon had a fierce gaze in it's eyes, as if it knew Leo's every secret. In it's mouth it held a red canister with green lids.

"The Dragon Scroll..." Shifu and Leo uttered at the same time.

"It is time." Said Oogway.

"But who? Who is worthy to be trusted with the secret to limitless power? To become...the Dragon Warrior?" Shifu pressed for answers. Without moving his gaze from the sacred scroll, Oogway shook his head lightly,

"I don't know." The tortoise said, his eyes widening slightly. Leo inhaled deeply, breaking his gaze from the scroll to look at Shifu and Oogway.

"There is only one way to find out."

With that, Leo turned and, bowing to both of the masters, left the Hall. As his paws hit the floor, Leo remembered back twenty years ago. He was once going to be chosen as the Dragon Warrior, but it was not meant to be. Oogway had said so himself. But that did not matter now. The Dragon Warrior would be chosen tomorrow morning. They would stop Tai Lung.

{My brother is not coming home. I will make sure of it.}


	21. The Dragon

Leo Lung was lost in thought as he moved his spoon through his bowl of soup. He was at dinner with the rest of the Furious Five. Master Oogway and Shifu did not eat with them- they preferred to meditate to calm themselves in preparation for the upcoming day. The Dragon Warrior would be chosen tomorrow morning. The entire village would be there to see it. Master Shifu, Master Oogway and himself would be presiding over it.

The lion's mind wandered back to twenty years ago. He had prepared so dutifully for being chosen as the Dragon Warrior. He had washed his fur, combed his mane and chose his best robe. Would the Furious Five do the same as he did?

Speaking of the Furious Five, they were incredibly eager about the events taking place tomorrow. Monkey had put his two cents in and predicted that Tigress would be the one to obtain the envious title of Dragon Warrior- after all, she had had over fifteen years of training under Master Shifu, Oogway, and Leo. Viper, Mantis, and Crane all agreed.

Tigress, on the other paw, was not as excited. If she was, then she did an excellent job of masking her emotions. Leo delicately lifted a spoon to his mouth and put a small amount of soup into his mouth. He swallowed and spoke up, interrupting the Five's conversation,

"Listen up you guys. The Dragon Warrior may be an incredible and honorable title to hold, but it also comes with great responsibility. You will be given the secret to unlimited power. It will not be easy, and it is certainly not a joking matter."

"Yes, Master Leo, we know!" Viper giggled, "You sound just like Master Shifu. You are so uptight and serious!" She said, using her tail to handle her spoon.

The lion was, in all honesty, taken aback by her statement. While the rest of the Five, excluding Tigress, laughed at the joke, the lion remained. Leo cast his gaze downward. Even though it was a simple joke, he frowned. He respected Master Shifu and all of his teachings, but he never expected to turn out just like him.

Leo stood, pushing his bowl away from him and stalking off to his dorm. Viper, as well as the rest of the Five, fell silent as the large lion exited the room. The lion walked down the hall, his paw steps silent on the wooden floor. As he climbed up the steps, he heard someone follow him. Leo reached the top of the steps and turned, looking behind him. His ears pricked. He heard heavy, but quiet footsteps. It must have been Tigress.

And he was correct. He saw her glowing eyes in the darkness. She ascended the stairs and met him at the top, her tail low and ears down. Leo narrowed his eyes and his tail swished, a gentle swishing sound entering the air as his tail dragged across the floor,

"Do you need something?" He asked gruffly. His whiskers twitched as Tigress sighed.

"I want to apologize for their behavior earlier. It was never funny, and they did not mean to hurt you." Tigress said quietly.

"I understand Tigress. You had no part in it. I just..need some time to think. The Dragon Warrior will be chosen tomorrow. I suggest you get plenty of sleep. It is going to be a big day tomorrow, for both you and me."

"Yes, that would be good." The tiger nodded, walking past him and towards her own dorm.

"Wait!" Leo called after her. Tigress stopped and turned, looking at him. Leo was silent for a moment. Then he beckoned for her to follow him. Leo walked into his dorm and reached for something in a box he had near his bed.

"What is it?" Tigress asked.

"This. You lost it many years ago during training. I have been keeping this, waiting for the right time to give it back. I guess this is the perfect time."

Leo stood upright, handing Tigress a small trinket. Tigress took it in her paw and looked at it. She gasped and her eyes widened. It was a small necklace with a Jade Dragon on it. It was the very same necklace Leo got for her on her tenth birthday. Tigress had worn it all the time until she had lost it one day during a tough day of training. 

Leo had found it that evening. He was going to return it to her, but a small voice inside him had told him there would be a day when she needed it. He had held onto it for years, patiently waiting for the right time. Now was the that time.

"I..I completely forgot.." Tigress said, almost too quiet for Leo to hear. Leo gently took it from her and put it around her neck. Tigress lifted her paw and felt the cool stone of the jade dragon.

"It is said that it brings good luck." Leo said, smiling at Tigress.

"I won't need luck. But it's appreciated." Tigress pulled Leo into a hug. Leo chuckled and hugged her back.

.

The next morning

.

Leo's eyes scanned the courtyard in front of him. Hundreds of villagers had gathered for this great occasion. The audience was full of cheering. Leo had made himself presentable for this momentous day. His mane had been combed and washed, and he had his best robes, his green one with accents of gold, washed by the palace staff. Shifu stood next to him on his left, with Master Oogway on Shifu's other side. On each of the rooftops, the Furious Five waited. Shifu would announce them, and they would make a grand entrance.

Leo remembered the day Shifu took him and Tai Lung to Master Oogway to be chosen as the Dragon Warrior. It was the complete opposite of what was happening now. It was private, only Leo, Tai Lung, Master Oogway, and Shifu were there. They did not even have to battle or spar. Oogway had simply taken one look and shook his head. Leo shook his head, trying to shake the memory out of his head. This was not the time nor the place to be sad.

The door to the courtyard shut. Shifu cleared his voice. It was time to start. Leo lifted his head as Shifu began to speak,

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace! It is my great honor to present to you: Tigress, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis! The Furious Five!"

Shifu said, the pride obvious in his voice. With that, the five animals leapt from the rooftops high into the air. Leo craned his neck upwards to watch, smiling as he spotted the glint of a jade necklace around Tigress's neck in the sunlight. The five animals landed neatly and gracefully on the ground, with Crane using his wings to send a gust of wind throughout the crowd, easily wowing them.

"Warriors!" Shifu barked out an order, "Prepare!"

Tigress, Mantis, Viper, and Monkey each stepped to the edge of the clearing, leaving Crane in the center. A group of pigs began to wheel a large mechanism, revealing some sort of beast, out to the center, not far from where Crane was currently standing. The mouth of the beast opened up, revealing countless missile-like projectiles.

"Ready for Battle?" Shifu asked Crane. The bird turned his head to Shifu and nodded, a smirk crossing his beak.

With that, the pig on top of the cart lit a torch, lowering it down towards the closest firework. All of them began to sizzle and launched out of the mouth of the beast. Crane neatly leapt into the air, his wings opening as he took flight. All of the missiles seemed to close in on him.

But, moments before the blast, Crane seemed to do a backflip in mid-air, dodging each and every missile and also creating a beautiful firework show. The crowd cheered.

Mantis, Viper, and Monkey each went after Crane, in that order. Leo watched each of their performances. They did well, yes, but Leo, to be honest, did not believe they were meant to be the Dragon Warrior. The crowd certainly loved their performances. Their cheers only seemed to get louder as the Furious Five went on. Once Monkey's performance was finished, the crowd even threw confetti into the air.

"And finally, Master Tigress!" Shifu announced as the crowd finally hushed, "Believe me citizens, you have not seen anything yet!" He said enthusiastically. The crowd roared, eager to see the bengal tiger in action. Leo nodded to Tigress as she made her way to the center of the courtyard, "Master Tigress, face Iron Ox and his Blades of Death!"

The Iron Ox was similar to the wooden warriors they had in the training hall, except this one was built with iron armor and had axes for arms. Tigress fell into a battle stance. Leo felt a smile tug at his lips. This would be the grand finale.

But, before Tigress could make the first move, Master Oogway's eyes widened and he raised one of his hands. The crowd hushed and simultaneously fixed their gaze onto the tortoise.

"I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us..." He said mystically.

Leo's mane prickled. This was it. Shifu beckoned for all of the Five, including Tigress- who had not even made her move yet- to line up.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace! Master Oogway will now choose the Dragon Warrior!" The crowd cheered as Shifu spoke. The drums began to pound as Oogway made his way to the stairs. The Five lined up, holding themselves high. Leo made brief eye contact with Tigress, and he smiled. He thought he saw her make a small smile, but she fixed her eyes forward and the smile fell.

Oogway descended down the stairs. Leo felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He had felt this same excitement when he and Tai Lung were taken to Oogway to be chosen. But this time it was for real. It would not be him, but it would be one of the Furious Five.

Master Oogway approached the Five. As Oogway lifted one of his hands, fireworks erupted outside the courtyard. Leo glanced up. It was certainly a spectacular display. The crowd ooo'd and aww'd at the firework show. Leo glanced back down.

Just as the great tortoise lifted his claw to Tigress, a crash erupted throughout the courtyard as something fell from the sky. The crowd gasped, and the Furious Five moved out of the way as whatever fell from the sky.

"What in the world just happened?" Leo demanded. Shifu shook his head- he had no clue what happened either.

Leo craned his neck to see what, or who, just crashed the party- literally. It was large. Very large. And round and- {My goodness..} Leo thought {It's a panda!} Leo's fur bristled. Where in China had that thing come from?!

As the panda slowly came to, Leo lashed his tail. Oogway was pointing at Tigress, and that panda was blocking the way.

"Oh! Ok! Sorry! I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was!" The panda exclaimed from the courtyard.

"How interesting.." Oogway said, almost to himself.

"Master, are you point at.. me?" Tigress asked, gesturing to herself.

"Him." Oogway responded simply.

Leo's eyes widened and his tail lashed. The panda tried to move out of the way, but Oogway's finger followed him. Oogway took the panda's paw in his staff and raised it towards the sky,

"The Universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" Oogway proclaimed.

"What?!" Tigress yowled.

"What!?" Shifu and Leo gasped at the same time.

At that time, a pig to the right of Leo banged on a gong. Then, as if on cue, the crowd cheered wildly, their confusion from the moments before forgotten. The drums pounded and music began to play. Shifu pushed past Leo and snatched the mallet out of the pig's hoofs, scolding him. Shifu's ears were pinned back to his head in fury.

Leo leapt off of the platform straight onto the courtyard, ignoring the fact that he could have used the stairs. Leo approached the Furious Five, who were still reeling from the fact that a panda just got chosen over them. Leo glared at Oogway,

"What was that? You just chose a panda, a panda, as the Dragon Warrior! He is just a normal citizen!"

"Have faith, my friend. Every flower takes time to bloom."

A group of escorters grabbed the panda and placed him in a throne-like chair. The ducks were barely able to lift him, and even still the ducks had to move at a crawl, the panda was so big.

Shifu ran up to them, "Master Oogway, wait! That flabby panda can't possibly be the solution to..our problem!" He said, quietly enough so that only he, Leo, and Oogway could hear, "You were about to point at Tigress, and that thing fell in front of her! That was just an accident!" Shifu exclaimed, desperate to try and get one of his own students the title of Dragon Warrior.

"There are no accidents." Oogway said, matter-of-factly. Just as he said that, the throne that the panda was being carried in broke. Shifu glanced at that and looked back at Oogway, almost as if he expected him to justify his decision.

Oogway just shrugged. Several pigs ran up to help the ducks carry the panda. Leo sighed. Tigress approached him and Shifu,

"Forgive us, Master. We have failed you." She, as well as the rest of the Furious Five, bowed. Shifu held up one paw, looking back to them,

"No. If the panda has not left by morning," He said, turning to look at Leo and the Five, "then I will have failed you."

Leo's eyes widened. What was Shifu going to do to the panda? Leo closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, praying that Shifu showed at least some mercy on the creature. He then turned to address the Five,

"Come along, now. Let's go training." He said. Training was the best way to get your mind off an experience like this.


	22. One Feather

Zeng had been flying for almost a day and a half now. At first the journey was not that bad. But as he kept going, the air began to grow cold. Instead of seeing the warm, green pastures and villages, his vision was filled mountains. Snow froze his beak and winter winds buffeted his small body. The harrowing journey seemed endless, and he was finally relieved when he saw the gaping jaws that was the entrance to Chor Ghom prison.

He flapped his wings quickly, descending to the ground. But, unfortunately, the goose was clumsy and, with no help from the ice on the ground, landed on his stomach, bouncing and sliding towards the rhino guards.

The goose bounced off against the door and landed right at the rhino's feet. The pair of beasts pointed dangerously sharp spears at his throat, ready to kill him without even saying a word.

"Wait! Wait wait wait!" Zeng said quickly, waving his wings, "I bring a message!" The rhinos did not look convinced. Zeng quickly added on to his statement, "From Master Shifu!"

At that statement, the rhino's eyes widened, and they both lifted their heads in surprise, one of them even snorting. The guards wordlessly raised their spears away from Zeng's throat, and he sighed in relief. One of the rhino guards pulled him up, and they both led him towards the door.

The wooden, spiked door opened ominously, and Zeng stepped inside. It was much warmed in here. Torches lined the inside of the door. But as Zeng glanced around, he was greeted by countless, heavily armored rhinos. One of the rhino guards who met Zeng at the door handed his scroll to a large rhino who had a bronze horn tip, who was named Vachir.

"You bring a message, huh?" The rhino said, opening the scroll. As his eyes scanned the page, a scowl formed on his face. His eyes narrowed,

"What?! Double the guards?" He read the scroll out loud, his eyes hardening, "Extra precaution?"

Zeng nodded his head slightly as the rhino continued reading, "Your prison may not be adequate?!" Vachir snapped the scroll shut, shoving his muzzle towards the messenger goose. One of the guards dropped a mace near Zeng, and he glanced upward.

Three large rhinos, each with large, sharpened horns on their muzzles, glared daggers down at the quaking goose. Zeng gulped.

"You doubt my prison security?" The bronze-horned rhino, who Zeng assumed was the captain of the endless amount of rhinos inhabiting the prison, growled at the goose.

"Absolutely not!" Zeng feigned surprise, almost as if he was insulted that the rhino captain questioned him. Zeng continued, "But Shifu does. I'm just the messenger."

"I'll give you a message for your Master Shifu." The rhino got so close to Zeng that he could see the individual hairs on the tip of his muzzle. Zeng gulped again and smiled nervously. Commander Vachir continued, walking down the center aisle, "Escape from Chor Ghom prison is impossible!" He bellowed. The goose followed him and peeked down the wall.

The prison went at least a thousand feet down, maybe one thousand five hundred feet down. Many more aisles criss-crossed the way down, each being patrolled by at least fifty rhinos. Zeng could not even see the bottom.

Vachir gave Zeng a hearty, borderline violent slap on his back. Zeng gasped in surprise and fear as several of his feathers flew off of his body. Commander Vachir laughed, a deep, throaty laugh,

"Impressive isn't it?" He asked, glancing down at his army, and at one of Zeng's feathers that floated harmless down to the bottom- if there was a bottom. The messenger goose gulped nervously. He spoke,

"Yes..very impressive. It's VERY impressive!" Zeng said, still shaking slightly.

"One way in, one way out!" Vachir said, continuing along the bridge, "One thousand guards, and one prisoner!" The rhino bragged.

"Yes," Zeng added, "except that prisoner is...Tai Lung."

Vachir and Zeng arrived at an elevator, manned by two rhinos. Vachir ordered the two guards to take them down, and Zeng hopped onto the platform. The elevator began to descend towards the ground. Vachir, having a brief flashback of when a lion came to visit, shook the elevator's chains,

"What are you doing?!" Zeng demanded, grabbing onto the rails of the platform. Vachir laughed again, the sound echoing throughout the prison. Zeng's grip on the railing was tight.

The elevator arrived in a tower. The goose looked nervously around, tentatively stepping off of the elevator. In front of him was a series of doors, each with locks. Two rhinos in front of the door began to unlock it. Zeng glanced nervously at Vachir. The large rhino had grabbed a torch and was glaring ahead.

At last, the final door was unlocked. A drawbridge fell.

"Oh my..." Zeng said, breathless at the sight in front of him,

"Behold, Tai Lung." Vachir said.

.

.

Tai Lung's Point of View

.

I heard voices.

One of them was the rhino commander. Vachir. That was his name.

I hate him.

Another was unfamiliar. I did not know who that was.

I kept my eyes closed. My body ached from the contraption on my body. I heard Vachir order for the crossbows. The unfamiliar voice spoke,

"Crossbows?!"

I heard footsteps, approaching me. I took a small breath and tensed.

"Hey, tough guy!" Vachir said, coming towards me, "Did you hear?!" He was right next to me at this point, "Oogway's finally gonna give someone the Dragon Scroll and it's not gonna be you!"

Imbecile.

"What are you doing?!" The newer voice squealed, "Don't get him mad!"

Stupid newcomer.

"What's he gonna do about it?" Vachir asked, moving around behind me,

Kill you.

"I've got him completely immobilized." Vachir went quiet for a moment. A crunching sound erupted behind me and pain shot up my spine. The idiot just stepped on my tail. I did not dare move. If I did, then I would have shown weakness in front of him. I simple added that to the mental list of the times the rhinoceros, or his guards, had hurt me, taken advantage of me.

The newcomer gasped, as if it was his tail being stepped on, and backed away. His footsteps were light. He must have been a small animal, like a rabbit or a goose. The rhino laughed, moving to my side.

"Aww, did I step on the wittle kitty's tail? Aww!" He said obnoxiously in my ear. I did not move. I didn't even twitch my ear.

"I'm good!" The other voice said, "I've seen enough." The two animals began to move towards the exit, "I will tell Shifu he has nothing to worry about!"

"No he doesn't!" Vachir added.

Yes, he does.

The footsteps faded as the two left. I heard the drawbridge being pulled up. I sighed quietly. My tail twitched, throbbing from when the heavy rhino crushed it under his foot.

I felt something land in front of me. My golden eyes opened. It was a feather.

I moved my tail around to delicately take the feather, and move it around behind me.

It was time.


	23. Level Zero

The crowd was still cheering. Leo Lung, Tigress, and the other Furious Five members watched in disbelief as the panda was hauled away by the pigs. Shifu followed them slowly towards the Hall of Warriors. Leo's whiskers twitched in disbelief,

"I don't believe it." He said.

"This is ridiculous!" Tigress hissed, glaring daggers at her paws, "He probably does not even know kung fu!"

"Why don't we go train? Training always helps blow off steam." Leo suggested.

Tigress stomped off towards the Training Hall, her tail lashing in anger. Viper, Monkey, Crane and Mantis followed. Leo hesitated for a second, glancing at the cheering crowds, before trailing after the five animals.

As the Furious Five made their way back to the Training Hall, Leo tapped Tigress light on the shoulder. She flicked her ear in his direction. The lion gently pulled her aside, "Tigress, I know this can be hard. I went through the very same thing you did." Leo said, his voice lowered so the rest of the Five did not hear. They were ahead of them, already on their way to the Hall.

"Did you get humiliated in front of the entire village? Did you watch helplessly as a fat panda was chosen over you?" Tigress growled at him, the fury clear in her eyes.

"No. I did not. I watched helplessly as neither me or my brother was chosen. I felt so ashamed, as you probably do. But you know what I did?" Leo asked as they arrived at the Training Hall. Mantis, Viper, Crane and Monkey entered and began starting up the equipment. They began training while the lion spoke with the tiger above the courtyard.

"What.." Tigress said, "what did you do, Leo?" She asked, staring at her feet.

"I moved on. I got over myself. Tai Lung, on the other hand, did not get over it. He let his rage take over. He took it out on everyone and everything in sight. And, well, he paid the price." Leo said, his voice soft over the shouts of the training animals. He remembered the terror of his brother paralyzing him. Leo winced, flicking his head to shake the memory.

Tigress considered this. Her tail swished and she looked at the Swinging Clubs that hung over the Spinning Serpent Logs. It was spinning, waiting for an animal to traverse across it. Leo followed her gaze before glancing back at her. His confidence growing, he smirked a toothy grin at her,

"I challenge you to a spar, Master Tigress." Leo said boldly.

She looked surprised for a moment, then smiled, her eyes narrowing, "You are on, Master Leo Lung!"

The two cats ran on to two separate Serpent Logs. As they started spinning, Tigress threw the first punch- leaping onto Leo's spinning log and roundhouse kicking his muzzle. Leo took the hit, shrugged it off with a twitch of his whiskers, and swept his legs under her, sweeping her legs out from under her.

Tigress quickly caught herself and landed on her front paws. Just as she was about to get up, a large swinging club swung past her. If she had come up any past her, she would have been hit with a blunt wooden club right on the back of her head. Leo narrowly dodged the swinging club as well, leaping onto a nearby Serpent Log.

The Kung Fu Masters sparred for the next several minutes, dodging the swinging, spiked clubs and leaping to and fro on the Serpent Logs. Tigress' muscles rippled underneath her striped fur. Leo's mane bushed and his tail lashed as he faced his opponent. As the spar continued, Leo and Tigress found it was fairly easy to dodge the swinging clubs. They were so invested in their training that they did not even notice as Shifu pushed open the doors as he and the panda walked into the Hall.

Leo watched as Tigress leapt close to him. They fought in close combat, the two felines blocking each other's blows and counterattacking with their own moves. But when Tigress reared her paw back, about to land what some would consider a knock-out blow, a spiked club came swinging quickly towards her. She glanced at it, and without a microsecond of hesitation, twisted her waist and sent her fist flying through the solid wooden block.

The polished wooden club shattered in a million directions. One pointed shard flew towards Leo's head, and he blocked it with an uppercut from his paw. A large chunk of wood flew towards the entrance, hitting the panda right between the eyes.

Leo leapt backwards off of the Serpent Logs, careful not to land on any splinters. Tigress joining him. She had a triumphant smirk on her face as the panda rubbed his head where he was hit.

"Let's begin." Shifu said. The small red panda was dwarfed by the giant panda next to him. The two began walking as Leo glanced at Tigress,

"Do you want to watch the panda train?"

"This should be good." Tigress purred, walked over towards the panda. The rest of the Furious Five also got on and halted their own training, moving in to join Tigress. Leo followed behind them.

Leo watched as the panda approached the training dummy. Shifu told the panda that the dummy, nicknamed 'The Adversary', was only used for training children and propping the door open on hot days.

The panda saw them approaching, and gasped, "The Furious Five! Leo Lung!" His eyes went wide in awe. Tigress was not impressed, placing her hands on her hips.

"You are so much bigger than your action figures!" The panda said, almost breathless, "Except for you, Mantis. You're about the same." He said, pointing a fat finger towards the green insect. Mantis narrowed his eyes, one of his antennas twitching, almost as if he was saying 'I see.'

The panda went quiet as Shifu, Leo, and the Furious Five each stared expectantly at him. Shifu finally spoke, "Go on, panda, show us what you can do." Tilting his head towards The Adversary. The panda quickly glanced at the dummy and back towards the seven animals,

"Um..are they going to watch or should I wait until they get back to work?" He asked, gesturing towards the Furious Five and Leo.

"Hit it." Shifu said, plain and clear. Leo took in a steady inhale of breath.

"Ok. I mean, I just ate, so I am still digesting. So my Kung Fu might not be as good as later on." The panda said, stalling. He rocked back and forth in place.

"Just hit it." Shifu said, his eyes narrowed. It was clear his patience was running low. The panda's eyes widened slightly and a small frown creased his face. He turned towards the dummy. The panda began speaking,

"Alright. Whatcha got? You got nothing cause I got it right here.." He said to the dummy. Leo cringed, "You pickin' on my friends? Get ready to feel the thunder!" The panda said, "Coming at you with crazy feet! Whatcha gonna do about crazy feet, huh?" He asked the dummy, "I'm a blur! I'm a blur. You've never seen bear style! You've only seen praying mantis!" The panda began flailing his arms about, trying to imitate Mantis, "Or monkey style!" He began making monkey sounds. Monkey raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Or I'll come at you like snickety snake!"

Shifu, all patience down the drain, pinned his ears against his head, "Would you hit it?!" He gestured towards the dummy. The panda stopped flailing his arms around, and glanced at Shifu.

"Alright! Alright." He stood upright and raised his right paw delicately. He pushed it against the dummy. The dummy rocked back into place. Leo sighed quietly, almost in defeat.

Shifu certainly looked unimpressed, "Why don't you try again?" He asked, a false smile creasing his small muzzle, "A little harder." The panda nodded, rearing his paw back. His fist flew forward, slamming the dummy into the floor,

"How's that?" He asked smugly. As the panda finished speaking, the dummy righted itself and knocked into the panda, sending him flying backwards. A white tooth fell onto the ground.

The panda fell backwards onto the training court. The equipment started up. Leo flew forward to try and help the poor panda, but Shifu raised a paw. His eyes were narrowed as he watched the scene in front of him play out.

The Serpent Logs were the first that the panda fell victim to. His legs danced back and forth as he tried to balance himself. A tingling sound rang out throughout the Hall as the Spiked Clubs were lowered. Leo's eyes widened in horror. The panda was going to get killed if he did not get out of there!

The panda was forced to stop as his legs were caught on two different logs. He cried out in pain just as a club swung towards him. The club hit him square in the face, sending him flying off of the Serpent Logs and right into the Jade Tortoise. The heavy panda landed in the bottom of the bowl, his weight causing him to fall back and forth as the bowl rolled with him.

"This will be easier than I thought," Shifu said, matter-of-factly. Leo felt compelled to cuff him right between the ears for taking pleasure in the panda's obvious pain.

The panda finally managed to escape the Jade Tortoise. The contraption spat him out, and the poor panda landed right in the middle of the Army of Wooden Warriors. As he stumbled through, each Wooden Warrior smacked the panda. It was almost as if they took turns hurting the animal. One of the warriors landed a low blow-literally- and hit the panda in his crotch. He gasped and grabbed the sore area, wincing in terrible pain.

But, despite all the pain he had gone through, the panda was still in the middle of the army. Leo mouthed for him to not move. But, of course, the panda extended his arm and reactivated the trap again. The panda was violently pushed through the course, and he stumbled forward- right into the Field of Fiery Death. Leo gasped as the flames ignited.

Three bursts of flame later, the panda finally made his way off of the floor. He collapsed on the floor and crawled over to Shifu, Leo and the Five. Leo's eyes scanned over his body. Bruises covered his body like stripes covered Tigress' body. He had scorch marks all over his body as well.

"Ah..." The panda panted, "How did I do?" He asked, his eyes half-lidded in pain and exhaustion.

"There is now a level zero." Shifu said, extinguishing a fire on top of the panda's head.


	24. Dorm Rooms

Leo Lung sat on his bed. His head was in his paws. It has been a long day. After the horrific first day of training, Shifu dismissed the panda, and the Furious Five, to their dorms. Training would begin at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning. 

Leo had also dismissed himself. Even though he would not be training tomorrow- the bulk of the training would be focused on the panda- Leo valued his rest. Shifu had once offered Leo a room in the actual Jade Palace, right next to his and Master Oogway's, but he declined. He felt like that would make the others think that he thought he was above the rest. And he was not, that's for sure.

Leo also felt empathy for Po. Leo had thought up several of those contraptions, and Po had gotten hurt today because of them. He sighed and stared at the floor.

He heard Tigress and the rest of the Furious Five approach. Because Leo's room was the first in the row of dorms, he could see the Five moving past his screen doors. They moved past his room without saying a word. He could see the dim glow of each room get blown out. They were going to sleep.

Leo, on the other hand, did not blow out his candle. He was not going to sleep yet, so he had no need to. Instead the lion stared at the floor boards. Memories flooded through his head.

Twenty years ago, Tai Lung had burst through the doors of the Sacred Hall of Warriors. He and Leo had clashed in battle. At first, Tai Lung had gotten the upper hand, but Leo had defended himself well. The two cats were evenly matched. Leo was quick and clever, while Tai Lung was strong and powerful.

But when a shoulder injury had caused Leo to hesitate during the deadly battle, Tai Lung had grabbed him by the neck with both of his powerful paws. Leo Lung remembered the terror of those powerful claws digging into his neck. He did not have the bushy mane that protected his neck and shoulders. Tai Lung had almost killed him that day.

But Shifu had stopped him. Tai Lung had crippled the red panda, and Oogway had finally stopped Tai Lung moments before he could reach the scroll. Shifu and Oogway had sent Tai Lung to prison for the rest of his life. But now that Oogway had his vision, it seemed that the snow leopard was destined to escape.

But now the only animal that had access to the coveted scroll was the panda. And, speaking of the panda, Leo could hear him creaking along the floorboards. A crash caused Leo to stand up and walk towards the door, swinging it open.

"What in China's name are you doing?" He asked the panda tiredly, who had crashed through the floorboards.

The panda turned and looked at him. He quickly heaved himself up and swept the boards into the hole he made, trying to fix the mess. He looked innocently at Leo Lung, his eyes wide,

"Oh, you're up." The panda said. Leo gazed at the mess the panda made, "Ok, umm, you might want to get someone to fix that." The panda said, pointing at the messed up floor.

Leo took one last glance at the floorboards and, with a simple flick of his tail, beckoned the panda to his room. The panda looked around and walked excitedly into his room. The lion closed the door behind him, and looked at the panda,

"First of all, panda, you have gotten yourself into a lot of trouble by coming here." Leo said honestly, turning to face him. He softened his voice, trying not to sound rude or unkind. The panda sighed and answered,

"Yeah, I know." He gazed downwards, "I don't think anyone really wants me here. The Furious Five aren't as great as I thought. Monkey said I couldn't even see my toes..." Po said sadly, gazing downward, placing a paw on his large stomach. Leo narrowed his eyes. He would have to have a word with Monkey later about talking behind other's backs.

"Oogway wants you here. I want you here. You're the Dragon Warrior, aren't you?" Leo said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. His question seemed like more of a statement, though. He cocked his head to the side slightly.

"I don't even know Kung Fu!" The panda said, looking at his flabby arms. He had a hopeless look in his eyes.

"That can be changed." Leo said, giving the panda a once-over, "But I don't want to call you panda all the time. What is your name?" Leo asked.

"Po. Po Ping the Panda." He answered, looking at the lion.

"And I'm Master L-"

"Master Leo Lung!" Po answered for him, "Brother of Tai Lung, Master of Lion-Style Kung Fu and second animal to ever master the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu!" Po said excitedly, a wide smile on his muzzle.

The lion grinned, obviously impressed. Po continued, "You were so amazing at the Battle of Weeping River! You were outnumbered 1,000 to 1 but you did not stop! I've only heard stories about it but the battle with Commander Crocodile, leader of the Bandits of the Southern Mountains, must have been so awesome!" He said, his body shaking in excitement.

"I understand you are excited, Po, but you will have a long day tomorrow." Leo said, placing a paw on his shoulder. Po quickly calmed down. He still had a smile on his face, though. Leo spoke again, "Master Shifu is doubtful of you." The lion said. Po nodded sadly, recalling how the red panda had talked down to him in the Hall of Warriors. Leo spoke again, "If you want to be in your best shape, then get some sleep tonight. You don't belong in my room. Go back to your own room and rest. I expect you to be up bright and early tomorrow morning."

Po nodded enthusiastically, "Ok, Master Leo! See you tomorrow! You're totally awesome, by the way." He whispered, pointing at him. Po turned, opened the door, and tried to quietly leave.

Leo sighed as the panda left. He could hear Po walking down the hallway. Leo was about to blow out his candle when he heard another door snap open. Leo heard Po speaking. Leo moved and creaked open his own door. He peeked down the hallway.

"You don't belong here." Tigress said, glaring at Po.

"Yeah! This is your room, I didn't mean to wake you-" He responded, a small smile on his face.

"I mean," Tigress said, inhaling, "you don't belong in the Jade Palace. You are a disgrace to Kung Fu, and if you have any respect for who we are, and what we do, you will be gone by morning." She slammed the door in Po's face.

Po simply stood there, shocked at the abrasiveness of his hero. Leo gently closed his door, turning away. He felt angry at Tigress for verbally attacking Po. Leo shook his head lightly. It seemed that he would have to talk with the entire Five tomorrow.

Leo gazed upwards, sending a silent plea to the gods that they help him and Shifu with training Po. It was going to be tough.

.

.

Po's Point of View

.

I stood on the edge of the cliff, my head hanging downwards. I thought over what happened today. I was chosen as the Dragon Warrior. That was pretty awesome. But the Furious Five aren't as awesome as I thought they were. I remembered when they headed off to their dorms, and the harsh words they said about me.

I stuffed another peach in my mouth.

Then I thought about Leo Lung. He seemed to be the only kind soul in the Jade Palace. I know he said for me to get plenty of sleep, but I was hungry, and I simply had to eat. Peaches were good, too. But these ones, from this specific tree, were delicious. I felt a smile cross my muzzle. Well, if I could even smile with all the peaches in my mouth.

"I see you have found the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom." A voice said behind me.

Mortified, I whipped around. It was Master Oogway himself! He found me with about 10 peaches in my mouth! My fur began to heat up in embarassment.

"Oh, is that what this is?" I asked, my mouth completely stuffed, "I thought it was just a regular peach tree." A peach fell out of my mouth. I quickly chewed and swallowed the rest.

"I understand." Oogway said. He approached me, a lantern in one hand and his staff in the other, "You eat when you are upset."

"Upset?" I tried to downplay my emotions, "I'm not upset. Why would you think that?" I asked.

Oogway certainly did not look convinced. He asked, "So, why are you upset?" He gazed at me, a smile creasing his small head. I sighed, and answered,

"I probably sucked today more than anyone in the history of sucking." I gazed to the side, "In the history of China. In the history of sucking!" I threw up my arms in exaggeration.

"Probably." Oogway said.

"The only person nice to me is Leo Lung! And you, of course." I added quickly, "But the Five, man, you should have seen it! They totally hate me!"

"Totally." Oogway added.

"Shifu.." I remembered his harsh words, "how is he going to turn me into the Dragon Warrior?" I placed my paws on my large stomach. It jiggled around annoyingly. I placed a paw on it to stop it. I spoke, "I mean I'm not like the Five. I've got no fangs, no wings, no venom. Even Mantis has those little thingies." I placed my hands up, mimicking Mantis' pincers, "Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles." I sat with my back turned to Oogway.

The old tortoise looked at me, a smile crossing his face, "Quit, don't quit. Noodles, don't noodles. You are too concerned with what was and what will be." He approached me, "There is a saying. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

He smiled at me. My eyes widened in wonder. Turning, Oogway left, but not before tapping on the bark of the tree.

A peach fell into my paw.


	25. Jailbreak

Tai Lung's Point of View

Tai Lung knew the pattern. He knew the lock on the contraption, almost by heart. During his first few years in the prison, Tai Lung had thought of countless escape plans, which all rode on him getting the trap off of his back. He would have to know how to unlock the contraption. Of course, he was never able to go through with his plans, considering he did not have a key or lock-pick.

But now Tai Lung had this little goose feather. Hopefully it would be all he needed. He gently lifted the feather with his thick tail. He placed it into the little slit on the back of the shell. Tai Lung gave it a little push to see how it would work.

He heard a click.

His confidence skyrocketing, Tai Lung used his tail to use the key as some sort of lock-pick. His ears twitched as he heard the clicks of the locks being released. Finally, Tai Lung moved the key into the final position and flicked it with his tail.

The jade pins in his back began to spin gently. The pins extracted from his back, flying outward in countless different directions. The relief Tai Lung felt was tremendous. During his first couple of days in the prison, he had thrashed and threw himself around, trying to escape, causing the pins to dig mercilessly into his back. He spent twenty years in that agonizing state, knowing that even one little flinch would cause him more pain.

Tai Lung tensed up. He unsheathed his claws and let out a moan. He felt the muscles rippling in his back, ready to be free. Tai Lung surged upwards, breaking the tortoiseshell off of his back and listening in satisfaction as the debris crashed against the floor and walls.

"Oh no!" A voice claimed from above Tai. He glanced upwards and saw it was Vachir.

"What's happening?" The newcomer asked, "Ah!" He gulped. Tai Lung saw it was a goose.

Tai Lung raised himself onto one knee and pulled his arms close to him. The giant boulders weighing down his arms began to shift and climb upward as the powerful snow leopard tugged his arms closer to him. He saw Vachir looking down at him from way above. Tai Lung roared at him in defiance and rage.

"Fire all crossbows!" Vachir bellowed out.

Tai Lung could see several pairs of rhinos manning different crossbows. One rhino ordered a crossbow to fire, and Tai Lung felt the giant arrow land near inches away from him. If he were three inches to the left, his body would have been impaled by the large ballistic arrow. Several more abnormally large arrows sped towards him. Tai Lung shifted his body so that none of the arrows hit him.

The leopard glared at a pair of rhinos manning the last crossbow. They fired. Tai Lung leaned heavily to the left, so that his right arm was right in the line of sight of the arrow.

The arrow struck his wrist, shattering the chain and effectively freeing his right paw. Tai Lung felt his confidence, and arrogance, growing. This plan was coming along brilliantly.

Tai Lung grabbed the final chain around his left wrist and pulled it free. The chain and the boulder fell over the edge of the cliff. Tai looked upward to see how much farther he had to get out.

"TAI LUNG IS FREE!" The goose screamed, "I must warn Shifu!"

"You're not going anywhere and neither is he!" Vachir grabbed the goose, holding him by his neck. He ordered the elevator to be brought back.

{That is where you are wrong, Vachir.} Tai Lung thought. He staggered forward. His legs were quite sore. His ears twitched as he heard a click behind him. The leopard whipped around just as the last crossbow fired.

The final arrow sped towards him. Tai Lung raised his paw and knocked the arrow upwards. He jumped into the air and kicked the arrow towards the rhinos. The pair of rhinos screamed and jumped out of the way. The arrow destroyed the crossbow and dug into the wall behind it.

An idea forming in his head, Tai Lung glanced at the rest of the arrows. He had five other arrows to work with. He would have to time this right. Tai Lung freed the rest of the arrows from the ground, excluding one, from the ground and kicked them all up the wall. They all landed into the stone wall, forming an escape route for the leopard.

Tai Lung rolled his head on his shoulders, eager for the action that was about to come. He leaped onto the wooden shaft of the first arrow that he left in the ground and, using it as a springboard, leapt onto the arrows that stuck out of the wall. Tai Lung ran against the wall, using the arrows to propel himself forward.

"He's coming this way!" Screamed the goose that accompanied Vachir.

"He won't get far!" The rhino bellowed, "Archers!"

Tai Lung saw the rain of arrows descending upon him. He glanced ahead of him and saw the elevator that was being brought up. Thinking quickly, Tai Lung leapt off of the final arrow and reached for the elevator. Just as he grabbed the underside of the elevator, the arrows whizzed past him. If he were one second late he would have been struck by countless arrows.

The snow leopard surged upward, grabbing the underside of the floorboards just as the chain was cut on the elevator. He watched as the platform fell hundreds of feet down. The leopard then flipped upward, split-kicking two rhinos in the head.

He grabbed the chain and, holding on tight, leapt over the edge of the wooden floorboards. The chain swung towards the wall, and the platform where countless rhino guards waited for him. Tai Lung leapt onto the wall and engaged in battle with the first rhinos he encountered.

The rhinoceros guards were relentless. They swung and attacked at him with each and every type of weapon imaginable. But Tai Lung, despite the fact that he had not trained in twenty years, was skilled. He skillfully maneuvered out of the way whenever a rhino attacked him.

At one point a whole line of rhinos came at him. Tai Lung reared his paw back and slammed it forward, shattering the first rhino's shield. The rhino cried out as he was shoved backwards. The rhinos behind him were pushed backwards. Some of them even fell over the edge. Tai Lung showed no remorse.

Once all of the guards were destroyed on the first floor, the leopard advanced to the second floor. A pair of guards tried to barricade the door, but, with one punch, he easily knocked them back. Tai Lung leapt forward. He grabbed two rhinos, spinning them in midair and effectively disabling them. Several more rhinos charged at him. Tai grabbed the mace of one of the rhinos and used it to defeat several more rhinos.

One rhino charged at Tai Lung, and the leopard shoved the spiked mace into his mouth, before kicking him into the air. Many more rhinos stampeded towards the leopard. Tai effortlessly tossed them aside, almost as if he were a child throwing away broken toys. The rhino that he had kicked into the air came back down, and he shoved him into the room ahead of him.

He leapt onto the wall and ascended to the third and final floor. He stood upright and faced the army of rhinoceroses. Tai Lung felt a twinge of fear in his heart. This is would not be like any other battle he had fought before. There was an entire army facing him down. Led by Vachir. Tai Lung's momentary fear was replaced with absolute hatred. Vachir snorted at him. Tai Lung snarled.

"We're dead. So very, very dead." The goose said, being held in a chokehold in Vachir's large hand.

"Hahaha! Not yet we are not! Now!" The rhino bellowed. An archer to the left of the rhino fired a lit arrow. It fired not at Tai Lung, but above him. An explosion rang out throughout the cave.

Tai Lung glanced upward, surprise filling his golden eyes. There was dynamite lining the ceilings. Huge stalactites fell in front of him. The bridge was being broken. Thinking as quickly as he could, Tai Lung surged forward. The bridge fell around the leopard.

With a loud roar, Tai Lung bunched his muscles up and leapt towards the rhinos. He heard a collective gasp as he fell towards them. But Tai Lung's leap was too short. His claws scraped against the side of the cliff, and he fell downwards.

"AH HAHAHAHA!" Vachir's booming laughter filled the leopard's small ears as he fell. Tai Lung glanced up, praying for anything that could get him free. And he saw it. A rope full of dynamite was still intact. Hope flooded his veins. He only had about ten seconds before it ignited, but that was enough time.

Tai Lung flew upwards, grabbing at any piece of falling debris to propel himself. He had to hurry.

Eight seconds left.

He was almost there. Tai Lung reached a giant stalactite that has just fallen. He ran towards the end of the large, falling stalactite.

Six seconds left.

Tai Lung bunched his muscles and launched himself off of the enormous stalactite. He leapt into the air. He grabbed the tip of the stalactite that the dynamite was tied to. Vachir saw what he was doing, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

Four seconds left.

Tai Lung heaved himself upwards, towards the dynamite. He did not have much time left. His heart raced his in large chest.

Three seconds left.

The snow leopard grabbed the rope and yanked it free. He launched himself towards Vachir and his army. The goose asked if they could run. Vachir responded solemnly with a yes.

One second left.

Tai Lung threw the dynamite at the rhinos. The final explosion rang out. Tai Lung landed on the platform as the rhinoceros army was blown outward by the explosion. Satisfaction replaced the adrenaline in his veins. He looked at the outside world, breathing in a breath of fresh air. This was the first time, the first time in twenty years, that Tai Lung had seen the outside world. It looked beautiful and serene, despite the chaotic battle that just took place.

The leopard heard a quiet sigh ahead of him. It was the goose. Tai Lung grabbed the goose by the neck. It honked miserably and flailed it's little legs about wildly. Tai Lung glared at the bird for a second, then sighed.

"I'm glad Shifu sent you." His voice sounded almost foreign to him, he hadn't heard his voice in so long. Tai raised a large paw and moved to touch the goose's feathers. The goose winced, and Tai hesitated for a second, before touching the goose on the head. His feathers were soft. He spoke, "I was beginning to think I had been forgotten. Fly back there and tell them.." He thought for a second, "The real Dragon Warrior is coming home!" He smirked triumphantly.

The goose nodded quickly, and Tai Lung threw him up into the air. The goose gasped and began to fly back towards the Valley of Peace.

Tai Lung inhaled deeply. Now that he was out, he reached behind his back and began to scratch between his shoulder blades. He smiled and began to walk forward, in the direction that the goose flew. Nothing could stop him from his destiny.


	26. Painful Lessons

The sun had barely crested the mountains, but Leo Lung was already awake. He pulled his sleepy eyes open and tossed his legs over the bed to sit upright. The lion arched his back and yawned greatly, his teeth gleaming in the first light of dawn.

The lion tossed on his favorite robe, the green robe with golden accents, and swished his mane. Leo pulled his door open, quietly, and gazed down the hallway. The Furious Five were still sleeping. He could hear the gentle snores coming from their rooms.

But what really caught Leo's eye was the pair of open doors that lay at the end of the hallway. His yellow eyes narrowed, and Leo gently walked to the end of the hallway and looked into the empty room. He could smell Po's scent in here. This must be his room.

But why is it vacated? Leo thought to himself, tilting his head in confusion. The bed was made and the room was surprisingly clean. It was almost as if the Panda wasn't in this room last night.

Leo gently closed the doors and looked towards the entrance of the Dorm Building. The lion ran a paw through his mane and sighed quietly. He quietly made his way towards the end of the hall and exited the building. Leo pushed open the doors and was greeted by none other than Master Shifu himself.

"Good morning, Leo." Shifu greeted warmly.

"Hello, Master Shifu." Leo purred, a smile creasing his muzzle.

"Always the early riser, hm?" Shifu chuckled, pushing past him. Leo laughed in response.

Shifu moved towards the end of the hallway, just as the sound of a gong resounded throughout the mountains. It was time to start the day. Each of the Furious Five members dashed out of their rooms, greeting Leo and Shifu. They stood stiffly at attention, ready to start another day of training. But Po's room remained empty. Leo sighed shakily, unsure of how the red panda would react to the panda not greeting him on the first day of training.

"Where is he?" Shifu asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"I already looked. He's not there." Leo said quietly as Shifu walked over to Po's room and threw the doors open. Shifu's eyes were wide. He scanned the empty room, the fur on his neck and tail standing upright in nervousness.

"What will we do now?" The lion asked softly, as the Five glanced curiously towards the vacant room.

"I-I.." Shifu said. He was silent for a moment before recomposing himself, "We need to continue training. We need to grow as powerful as possible." He said, paranoia creeping up on him as he thought of Tai Lung claiming revenge on the Valley. Without a Dragon Warrior to stop him, would he destroy everything? Shifu sighed and slowly made his way towards the entrance of the building, beckoning the Five and Leo to follow him.

As the seven animals approached the Training Hall, Viper moved to the front and addressed Shifu, "Are we simply going to continue training, even with the Dragon Warrior gone? Who will be the Dragon Warrior?" She asked softly.

But Leo answered, "We need to focus. If Po was not meant to be the Dragon Warrior, then we must hope that the true Dragon Warrior will be revealed." He said, moving to push open the doors of the Training Hall. {Hopefully the true Dragon Warrior will be revealed before Tai Lung returns.} He thought, pushing the doors open.

And they were greeted by Po. He had his back facing the Masters, and he was in a full split, trying to put his feet on two separate bars across from each other and let gravity do the work.

"Po? You're back!" Leo exclaimed, relief flooding his veins. The panda had not quit after all.

"Ah! G-Good morning, Master! I just thought I might...warm up a little." The panda exclaimed, shooting upright. He tried to look behind him but he could not.

"You're stuck." Shifu said, his voice almost carrying a curious tone as he examined the panda.

"Stuck? Ah, what? Stuck? Haha! Yeah. I'm stuck." Po said, a bit dejectedly as he basically hung between to the poles.

"Crane. Help him." Shifu glanced at the bird.

"Oh dear." Crane said. The bird approached the panda, giving him a once over, before gingerly grabbing Po's waistband and flapping his wings, "On three. One, two-" Crane flapped his wings frantically, lifting Po and flopping him on his back, "Threee." Po finished for him.

Po sat up, "Thank you!" He said.

"No problem." Crane said, moving back towards Shifu, Leo, and the rest of the Furious Five.

"You thought you could learn to do a full split in one night?" Shifu asked, almost curious at the panda's determination, "It takes years to develop one's flexibility, years longer to apply it in combat." He said. The red panda then turned to Tigress, "Demonstrate."

Tigress grabbed two nearby stone slabs and threw them high up into the air. Then, falling on all fours, she leapt into the air after them. Leo looked upwards to watch her. She righted herself up and kicked each stone slab with one foot, doing a complete split in the process. The slabs shattered into pieces, and Tigress fell back down to Earth. The tiny pebbles, once hard stone, fell like rain after her.

Tigress landed in front of Po. She glared backwards at him and growled to herself, standing upright and walked back to Leo's side. Leo heaved a heavy sigh as a large chunk of stone hit Po square in the head. He barely even reacted. In fact, Po stealthily picked it up and hid it behind his back. To Tigress' and Leo's surprise, Shifu did not address that. In fact, Shifu said,

"Let's begin your training, panda. Viper. I want you and the panda to spar." He said, glancing at the snake. Viper hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Let's get started! Woo hoo!" Po exclaimed.

Leo, Shifu, and the rest of the Five, excluding Viper, each moved to the side of the courtyard. Po and Viper readied themselves in the center of court.

"Are you ready?" Viper asked. She fell into her signature battle stance, a determined look filling her eyes.

"I was born ready!" Po said.

Right as the panda finished his sentence, Viper flew into action. She used her body to sweep Po's short legs out from under him. But, before he hit the ground, Viper used her tail to send the panda spiraling into the air. Viper launched herself after them, using her tail, once again, to slam Po to the ground.

Po cried out in pain, but Viper was the first to speak, "I'm sorry, brother, I thought you said you were ready!" She said, looking apologetically at him.

"That was awesome!" Po shouted, "Let's go again!" He said. Viper's eyes widened and she looked at Shifu, almost waiting for his reaction. The red panda stared forward. He was silent for a minute, allowing Po to get up to his feet. Then Shifu spoke, "Monkey, spar with him."

Monkey, with out missing a beat, leapt onto the battle field and grabbed a staff. He tossed one to Po, who caught it and held it in his arms. Monkey twirled his own staff around in his arms, before facing Po. He jabbed and hit at Po, knocking him around before he could realize where the monkey even was. Monkey even hit him on the head so hard that the panda fell over.

Training did not seem to improve from there. Crane sparred Po on the Jade Tortoise of Wisdom, but the panda fell into the bowl before he could even step forward. He thumped around the bowl while Crane simply hovered there, watching helplessly.

Mantis also took on the panda in a match. But, instead of inside the Hall,sparred with Po outside in the courtyard. But, despite the fact that Mantis was a fraction of the panda's size, he easily tossed Po around like a child tossing a ragdoll around, and, after slamming him on the ground several times, pushed him onto his back.

Mantis hopped onto Po's stomach triumphantly and hopped back onto Monkey's shoulder without so much as a word. Po raised his hands and put them together in a salute. He was down but not out.

Shifu was dumbfounded at this point. Even in a simple sparring match, Po did not show any progress. He had no inkling of how to fight using Kung Fu. At this rate Tai Lung might as well take stroll up to the Jade Palace and steal the scroll for himself. But Shifu was determined to have the panda learn something, even if it was how to get back up after being beaten.

"Leo! Spar with Po!"

"Alright!" Po said excitedly as he eyed Leo up and down, "Yeah! Let's go!" Po smirked.

{What.} Leo thought as his eyes widened. 

Monkey and Mantis glanced at each other nervously. Crane and Viper gulped and shared an expression of fear. Leo was one of the most offensive fighters in the Palace. Leo stepped forward. Po, still being on his back, looked up at Leo, almost in awe. Leo was one of his biggest heroes, next to Tigress and Shifu, of course. 

The lion held out his paw, letting the panda heave himself upward. Once Po was on his feet, Leo fell into a sparring stance. He narrowed his yellow eyes,

"Step forth, Po."

{I'm sorry, panda.} He thought to himself.

Po took a single step forward and Leo's fist flew forward, hitting the panda square in the shoulder. Po yelped in pain, but before he could even think about retaliating Leo sidestepped and, as Po turned to face him, Leo turned and kicked him in the gut. Po gasped and Leo, without thinking, leapt into the air and delivered a fierce kick to the panda's head.

And he went flying. Po flew through the doors and fell down the steps. He bounced up and down, his cries resounding in the air as he hit the steps.

Leo's eyes widened and his paw covered his mouth in horror. Leo pinned his ears to his head, trying to block out the panda's screams. The Five went to watch as Po tumbled down the staircase, but Leo slowly turned to face Shifu. Shifu looked at him expectantly, so Leo spoke,

"I think it is quite obvious that hurting Po is not going to teach him Kung Fu." Leo said slowly, clearly. Leo cast his eyes downward and walked back to his dorm. He hated that Po was getting hurt. But he loathed the fact that he had helped hurt Po. Shifu would have to find a way to train him. And fast. Tai Lung was on the move.

Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day.


	27. Memories

Leo gently closed the door to his room. The second day of Po's training had passed, and no progress had been made whatsoever. In fact, the only thing learned was that the panda was somewhat resilient to injuries. Po was covered in bruises when he finally clambered back to the Palace after falling down the countless amount of stairs, but he was still eager to learn. 

Despite Po's desire to master Kung Fu, Leo felt horrible. He had hurt the poor panda. Leo, even though the adrenaline of the moment had taken over, had still (quite literally) kicked the panda out of the palace.

They would have to find some way to train Po.

Speaking of Po, the lion could hear the heavy, thudding steps of the panda enter the dorm building. He yelped every time he took a step- every part of his large body was sore. Leo pricked his ears up as he watched the large silhouette pass by his screen door. Viper and Mantis followed him, softly murmuring to each other. It sounded like they were going to perform acupuncture on the panda.

Leo lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. He heard the rest of the Five pass by his building; first Monkey, then Crane, then Tigress. He turned his head slightly as he watched the tiger pass his room. He saw her stop, and glance at his room. Was she going to come in? But she then shook her head lightly and proceeded to her room. He heaved sighed and closed his eyes. His flank rose and fell as he tried to find sleep.

"OW!" A cry rang out from Viper's room. Leo slowly opened his eyes, almost in annoyance. It sounded like Po was getting acupuncture done by either Viper or Mantis. He could hear words coming from their room, but he could not make out what they were saying.

Leo swung his legs over his bed and sat up, staring in the direction of where the cries of pain were coming from. They seemed to go on for sometime until he heard a door open, and he heard Tigress' voice,

"Before Tai Lung." She said loudly.

That caught the lion's attention. Leo's ears perked up at the mention of his brother's name. The lion opened his door and made his way toward's Viper's room. Leo heard Crane say they were not supposed to talk about the snow leopard. That much was true. Shifu hated being reminded of Tai Lung and his horrendous crimes, so he forbade his students from talking about him.

"If he is going to stay here, he should know." Tigress said, almost matter-of-factly.

Leo moved to stand behind Tigress, "If you are going to talk about Tai Lung, if you want to know about him, it would be best if you asked someone who knew actually knew him." He said, his golden eyes narrowed as he shifted his gaze from Tigress to the panda.

Tigress moved to the side. Po began talking, "Guys! I know about Tai Lung! He was your brother." Po pointed at Leo, "He was the first to master the thousand scrolls of Kung Fu." Po trailed off as Leo approached and kneeled in front of the panda.

"Tai Lung was not just a student." Leo said, a nostalgic tone weighing his voice down.

"Shifu found us, as newborns."

Shifu heaved opened the heavy doors of the Palace. He heard some animal pounding on the doors, and had hurried to answer it. But now, he only saw two tiny cats, one a light golden cub in green wrappings and the other light grey with dark spots in purple blankets. Both were sleeping. Shifu quickly called for a palace assistant. A duck quickly waddled over to him, sharply inhaling at the sight of the two babes at the door step.

The red panda picked up the grey cub while the duck picked up the golden cub. Shifu's ears pricked at the sound of roars in the distance. Was that the cubs' mother? Was she calling out to them? But he shook his head and carried the snow leopard cub into the palace. He would raise these cubs.

"Shifu loved the both us like we were his sons."

Leo and Tai Lung were both only about 3 years old. They were in the court yard of the palace, play-fighting with each other, while Shifu watched from a distance under a cherry tree. Leo, a tiny golden cub with darker spots and large ears, leapt onto Tai Lung, who was not much bigger than him, and pinned him to the ground. Tai laughed and swiped his paw swiftly across Leo's muzzle, causing the lion cub to yelp in pain and recoil back.

The little lion held his muzzle and whimpered as Shifu got up and hurried over to the two cats. Tai sat back and watched, wide eyed, wondering how he had hurt Leo with one swipe of his claws. Shifu whispered comfortingly to Leo, and invited Tai over to a nearby table. The three animals walked over and Shifu sat the two kittens down.

"You must learn to be play gentle with others, Tai." Shifu had said, "You can not hurt your brother like that." Now both of the cubs were sad; Leo because Tai had hurt him, and Tai because he was being scolded. But the red panda had already moved on. He picked up two spoons, each with some porridge in them, and held them out to the two cubs. Both of the cubs eagerly ate the food, quickly calming down.

"And he raised us as such."

Still at the table, Tai reached out with his paw and felt Shifu's black whiskers on his muzzle. Shifu felt a smile tug at his lips, when suddenly the snow leopard ripped his whiskers right off of his face. Shifu gasped, feeling tears prick at his eyes at the sudden pain. Tai held the hairs in his paws, and Leo looked at them curiously. When Leo reached out with his paw to copy his brother, the red panda stopped him, instead feeding him some more porridge.

"We both showed talent in Kung Fu, and Shifu became our mentor."

Leo and Tai looked curiously around the training hall. This was their first trip in the new building. Shifu, realizing how much power Tai Lung had, decided to show him the training hall in hopes of letting the tiny snow leopard use his power on someone other than his brother or Shifu. The red panda thought it would be a good idea to bring Leo along with them, as he hated being separated from his brother.

That was when Leo spotted The Adversary. The cub crawled over to it, eyeing it curiously. Tai saw his brother with the dummy and made his way over to him. The brothers, almost in sync, both attacked the dummy, their claws unsheathed. Leo swiped at the dummy, his white claws gleaming in the light, and headbutted it to his brother, who slashed the dummy with his claws and kicked at it, sending it flying towards the opposite wall.

Shifu was dumbstruck. Not only were the two cats extremely powerful, but they showed promise in Kung Fu. He walked over to them. Tai nuzzled him, purring, and Leo rubbed up against them. They were too sweet. Shifu fell into a sparring stance, and both the cubs copied his move. They weren't perfect, and they would definitely need a bit of practice, but they were destined for greatness. That much was sure.

"He told us we were going to do amazing things one day."

Tai Lung lashed his tail as he stared at his brother, an arrogant smirk creasing his wide muzzle. Leo narrowed his eyes, falling into a sparring stance. They were about to spar. Shifu watched from nearby, ready to intervene if the spar grew too wild, which happened more often than not. The leopard crouched and lunged at the lion. But Leo uppercut Tai in the jaw before he could attack, and Leo reared his paw back, ready to land a sturdy punch to Tai's shoulder. But the snow leopard grabbed the lion's wrist and twisted it around, causing Leo to hiss in pain.

"But it was never enough for Tai Lung."

But the lion did not give up. He leaned back and kicked out at Tai Lung, landing a hit square in the muzzle. The snow leopard recoiled back a few steps. Both of the cats circled each other, making mock lunges and hissing at each other. Shifu narrowed his eyes, ready to step in. This was usually where the spar got out of hand. 

Leo charged at Tai, and tried to knife hand the leopard in the neck. But Tai growled and dodged to the side. Tai Lung's paw flew foward, and the snow leopard slashed at the lion's neck. Leo yowled in pain and surprise and leapt backward. Four scratch marks lined his neck. Luckily there was no bleeding, and it was only a flesh wound. Shifu flew forward, scolding Tai for using his claws during a sparring session. He had told both of the brothers many times that teeth and claws are what wild animals, not Kung Fu students, use in battle.

Leo held his paw up to his neck, feeling the skin heat up around the wound. He looked at his brother, who looked surprised and confused. Tai Lung slowly approached his brother and apologized quietly. Leo hesitated. Tai Lung's golden eyes were soft. Leo accepted his apology. The two brothers always made up after a fight. That was a given.

"He wanted the Dragon Scroll. But Oogway did not give any of us the scroll, and refused. Outraged, Tai Lung attacked the Valley, and it's people."

Tai Lung ran down the steps towards the village. Rage clouded his mind, and he felt a growl building up in his throat. He could not have the Dragon Scroll, and that was the one thing he had wanted for years. And it was denied from him. His lips curled in defiance and he finally made it to the bottom of the steps. The villagers greeted him cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong. As if Tai was not about to destroy everything they know and love.

The snow leopard tensed his arm muscles as he eyed the first building. With a loud roar, he charged at the building and slammed into it, causing the stone to crack and crumble. Villagers screamed in fear as the building was leveled to the ground. As Tai began to destroy more buildings, he found it easier to do so. He found the cries of the villagers to be music to his ears, and the sound of the buildings collapsing to be oddly satisfying.

"He tried to take the scroll by force. The battle was draining, and Shifu was forced to destroy what he created."

The sound of the doors breaking down was deafening. The first thing Tai Lung saw was his brother. The two cats leapt at each other, fighting viciously. Shifu and Oogway, who stood near the scroll, watched in horror as the brothers fought. Tai managed to get Leo in a chokehold. Leo, not yet a mature adult, did not have his mane to protect his neck and shoulders, and struggled to break the leopard's powerful grip.

Shifu charged forward, hoping to intervene before Tai killed his brother. But as Tai Lung saw Shifu approaching, the leopard threw the lion onto the ground and leapt at his master. The red panda prepared to deliver a powerful kick that could stop an elephant.

"...But how could he?"

Tai Lung, sensing Shifu's hesitation, knife-handed the red panda in the hips. His bones shattered almost instantly. With no remorse, Tai Lung pushed Shifu to the ground. Shifu cried out and held his legs in pain. Tai Lung felt an evil grin crease his wide muzzle as he leapt for the scroll. It seemed nothing would stop him now.

But Oogway thought otherwise. The tortoise leapt upwards and struck Tai Lung in the chest with his long claws, effectively paralyzing him and knocking him out. The leopard landed in a heap near the three warriors.

Leo lowered his head, in sadness, "Shifu loved the both of us. It was hard sending Tai Lung to prison. But, hopefully, with training, you can become the warrior we need." Leo stated to Po. He was hopeful that Po could become the Dragon Warrior soon.

"Doieeeee~" Po's face suddenly contorted in a googly-eyed, derpy, too-wide grinned face. Leo inhaled sharply and recoiled. Tigress narrowed her eyes and her tail twitched, but she did not say anything.

"Wait! My fault! I accidentally tweaked his facial nerve!" Mantis said. Po fell forward onto the ground. Needles stuck out from his back like a porcupine. Mantis continued,

"And I may have stopped his heart."


	28. Ascension

"Inner peace..." Shifu uttered. Instead of going to dinner with Leo and the Five, he was meditating. The last few days have been trying on his mind, and he felt like some meditation had been in store for now. Shifu spoke again, to himself, "Inner peace." The red panda felt his mind, clear and calm, like a meadow in the spring.

But a sudden noise broke the night silence. It sounded like a flapping sound, like a bird frantically taking to the sky. Shifu's ears pinned to his head. But just as quickly as the sound started, it seemed to stop. The master sighed, a small smile creasing his muzzle. He did not even have to say a word. He uttered inner peace again, feeling the ripples in his mind slow to a stop.

The master's meditation was once again interrupted when a crash rang out through the building. Shifu opened his eyes, irritated now. He stood and turned,

"Who- Oh! Zeng."

Indeed, it was the messenger goose that Shifu had sent out several days prior to tell Commander Vachir, the rhino, to increase security on Tai Lung. He has now, finally, returned from Chor Ghom Prison. Shifu continued talking,

"I would love to hear some good news."

Zeng was about to start speaking, but then he hesitated. Zeng recomposed himself,

"Uhm, about that, Master Shifu. Tai Lung escaped. Commander Vachir...he and the army have been defeated. He- Tai Lung- told me to tell you that the real Dragon Warrior is coming home." Zeng said nervously, gulping.

Shifu felt fear and paranoia stab his heart like a poison-tipped arrow. His eyes widened and his breathing quickened. So Tai Lung would return. Oogway was right. The red panda dismissed the goose and ran outside. He had to tell Oogway.

Would he tell Leo? The two cats used to be best friends. How would Leo react to the news that his brother would be returning? Shifu shook the thought from his head. He would let that crisis work itself out. Hopefully Leo would take it well..

Shifu ran up the mountain. He had to tell Oogway the bad news. As Shifu ran he thought of what would happen when Tai Lung returned. Would Oogway stop him? Would there be bloodshed? Shifu winced. He had to tell Oogway. He hoped that the tortoise would be at one of his favorite spots, at the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Yes. It seemed that the Grandmaster was no where else.

"Master! Master!" Shifu panted as he crested the mountain. Oogway had his back turned to him, but the tortoise used his long neck to look over his shell at the red panda. He hummed inquiringly at Shifu.

"I have...uhm.." The red panda stopped to catch his breath, "it is very bad news." Shifu stood upright, panting heavily.

"Ohh, Shifu." Oogway said, turning his body to face Shifu, "there is just news. There is no good or bad." He said, wisely.

"Master, your vision, your vision was right!" Shifu said, urgency in his voice, "Tai Lung has broken out of prison! He is on his way!" The smaller master said, fearful.

The surprise was evident on Oogway's face. His eyes became wide, and his mouth hung slightly agape. He was quiet for a moment, before speaking,

"That is bad news." He looked down at the ground, thinking, before speaking again, "But only if you believe the Dragon Warrior can stop him."

"The panda?" Shifu asked, "No disrespect, Master Oogway, but he does not even know Kung Fu! It was an accident that he is here." Shifu said, trying to stay calm.

"There are no accidents." The tortoise said.

Shifu narrowed his eyes. He had heard Oogway say that already. Shifu sighed, "Yes. I know. You've said that already. Twice." He turned so that only half of his body was facing the tortoise.

Oogway laughed, his eyes half-lidded, "That was no accident, either."

"Thrice." Shifu added, almost sadly.

"My old friend," Oogway began walking towards Shifu. The red panda had his back facing him at this point. Oogway continued, "the panda will fulfill his destiny as will you, once you let go of the illusion of control." Oogway's smile was small. Shifu looked confused, "Illusion?"

"Yes." Oogway said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Look at this tree." Oogway gestured to the Heavenly Peach Tree, "I can not make it blossom when it suits me, nor make it bear fruit before it is time." He looked up into the tree.

"But there are things we can control." Shifu countered. He looked up into the tree. Shifu reared back and kicked the tree harshly, causing many peaches to fall to the ground. A peach hit him square between his ears, "I can control when the fruit fall. And I can also choose when to plant the seed!" Shifu grabbed the pit out of the peach and buried it in the ground, "That is no illusion, master!" He panted. Shifu pinned his ears to his head stubbornly.

"Ah, yes," Oogway said. Shifu looked away as Oogway spoke again, "but no matter what you do, it will be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach."

"But a peach can not defeat Tai Lung! What about Leo Lung? He has as much experience to defeat Tai Lung!" Shifu said, exasperated. He had to get Oogway to understand that the panda would not be able to face Tai Lung in combat. Yet, as always, Oogway had a response,

"Maybe it can." The tortoise said softly, "If you are willing to guide it. To nurture it. To believe in it." He gently covered the peach pit with dirt. Oogway looked at Shifu with soft eyes, "Leo Lung will battle Tai Lung, and shake the world to its core. But he will not be the one to defeat Tai Lung. That mission lies with Po."

"But how?" Shifu pressed for answers. It was already obvious he could not train the panda. He had already tried for two days to train Po, but he had not an inkling of what to do, "I need your help, master!" Shifu begged.

"No." Oogway said, "You just need to believe. Promise me, Shifu," Oogway said, weakly, "Promise me you will believe."

"I..I will try." Shifu replied. He made his pact.

"Hmm. Good." Oogway said. The wind started to pick up. Oogway looked at the sky, then back to Shifu, "My time has come." The tortoise said. Oogway turned to Shifu, and gave him his staff, "You must continue your journey without me."

Shifu's eyes widened, "W-W-What are you-? Wait!" Panic began to take over Shifu. Oogway could not leave! Not at a time like this! "Master!" Shifu called out to him, "You can't leave me!" Shifu's breathing sped up. This was the worst time for Oogway to pass on. The great tortoise turned to him. Flower petals began to engulf him,

"You must believe.." Oogway said mystically.

"Master!" Shifu cried, holding out Oogway's staff.

Flower petals began to swirl around the grandmaster's body. Oogway smiled contentedly, as if he had been waiting for this time. He lifted his head up and felt the soft petals graze against his scaly skin. Shifu's eyes widened in disbelief. The tortoise's body began to glow, and the petals began to engulf him. The tortoise began to fade away, leaving nothing behind. The flower petals let the breeze carry them away to the heavens.

Oogway had ascended.

.

.

Leo, Tigress and the rest of the Five, as well as Po the Panda, were in the kitchen of the Jade Palace. Po had volunteered himself to cook, claiming that since he worked in a noodle shop, he could cook dinner for his heroes. Currently, Po was telling a story while he made soup.

"So I'm like, you may be the scariest bandit in Haijin Province, but you're a lousy tipper." Po said, slicing up vegetables and sliding them in a stew brewing on an oven.

"Really?" Crane asked incredulously, "So, how did you get out of there alive?" He asked the panda

"I mean..I did not actually say that. I said it in my mind. If he could read my mind, he would be like 'what'?" The panda began to pour the soup into seven separate bowls, one for every animal in the kitchen, "Order up!" Po passed the bowls around to the warriors. He glanced around expectantly.

Leo took a bite of the noodle soup. He felt a smile crease his muzzle. The noodles were savory, and the soup had some kind of spice added to it that made his mouth water. Tigress had decided to try the soup as well, but her face did not relay any of her emotions.

"This is really good!" Mantis said. The rest of the Five chipped in as well, commenting on the taste.

"I agree." Leo spoke up. Po looked at him excitedly, for Leo was one of his favorite warriors, "You truly have a skill at cooking, Po."

"Nah, come on." Po said, bashfully, "You should try my dad's secret ingredient soup. He actually...knows the secret ingredient."

"What are you talking about?" Viper asked, "This is amazing!"

"Tigress, do you like it?" Monkey asked. Tigress had eaten her soup, but she did not speak up. The six animals looked at the bengal tiger, waiting for her answer,

"It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on the dew of a single ghinko leaf and the energy of the universe." The tiger said, looking up from her meal. She then added quietly, "But yes, it is good soup."

"I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet!" Po said, glancing at Viper and Mantis, who sat next to him on either side. He continued, "Gonna need a lot more than dew, and universe juice." Po glanced down at his large belly and laughed.

Then, without missing a beat, he picking up his bowl and took a large gulp. When he lowered his bowl, a large noodle hung from his muzzle. Mantis, Crane, Viper and Monkey all giggled, but Tigress and Leo remained silent. Po asked what the matter was.

"Oh nothing...Master Shifu." Mantis replied.

Po, now spotting the noodle on his muzzle, began playing along. He leaned forward, "You will never be the Dragon Warrior unless you lose five hundred pounds and brush your teeth." The five burst into laughter, minus Leo and Tigress. They just looked at each other, almost sadly. Po continued to mock Shifu.

"I don't think it is that funny." Leo muttered under his breath, glancing at his soup. Tigress nodded and pushed her empty bowl away from her. Leo was about to do the same, when the laughter suddenly halted.

Leo looked up to see what was wrong, and suddenly saw Shifu himself standing behind Po, who was holding two bowls up to his ears. Po stopped, but did not know that the very animal he was making fun of was less than five feet away from him.

"It's Shifu..." Monkey whispered frantically.

"Of course it's Shifu! What did you think I'm doing?" Po glanced down beside him and gasped, seeing the Master right there. He placed the bowls on his chest embarrassingly and slurped the noodle that was still hanging from his nose.

Mantis, Viper, Crane and Monkey had to hold back laughter as Shifu pinned his ears to his head, "You think this is funny?" He asked, "Tai Lung has escaped from prison! You all are acting like little children!" He ranted.

Leo's ears perked up at that. His brother has escaped? When? Why wasn't he informed earlier? Leo was about to escape, but Po, spoke first,

"What?"

"He is coming for the Dragon Scroll." Shifu continued. He gestured to Po, "You are the only one who can stop him!" The bowls on the panda's chest fell to the ground, and Po laughed.

"Haha! And here I am saying you have no sense of humor. My goodness." He chuckled. Leo growled and pinned his ears to his head,

"I don't think you realize the seriousness of this, Po. Tai Lung is extremely powerful, and you are destined to stop him. You are treating this like a joke." The lion stated. Po looked at him, then back to Shifu.

"Wait you're serious? And I have to-? Uh- er- no." Po stammered. He took a quick glance at the staff and spoke, "Master Oogway will stop him. He did it before, he can do it again."

"Oogway can not. Not anymore."

Leo's eyes widened and his heart sank. His throat tightened. Oogway..was gone? The Five shared his reaction, but they looked to him to see what he would say. They all knew how much Leo loved Oogway. The tortoise was like a grandfather to him. Leo felt his claws dig in to the table. Oogway had died and he was not able to even say goodbye. What were his last words to Oogway? How long until he saw him again?

"Our only hope...is the Dragon Warrior." Shifu stated simply.

"Me?" Po asked quietly, letting the reality of it sink it. Oogway was dead and he had to stop Tai Lung. All by himself?

"Yes, you!" Shifu's voice rose.

"Master, please!" Tigress stood up, "Let us try and stop Tai Lung. This is what you have trained us for!"

"No, Tigress." Shifu said, trying to get the point across, "It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung. It is his!" Shifu pointed the cane at Po. Or, the space where Po used to be. Shifu pricked his ears, looking around, "Where did he go?"

Shifu ran outside, hopefully following the panda. He left the Five and Leo in silence. Leo felt his throat tighten as he thought of Oogway. He stood up and pushed his bowl away from him.

"I'm going to bed."

Leo walked silently outside. He tried to keep his emotions in check, but with every step he took, he could feel his throat tightening. The word 'dead' rang throughout his mind. Once he was in the hallway leading to the bedroom, he leaned heavily against the wall as he felt he chest tighten. He glanced around with wide eyes, making sure no one was around, and slowly sank to the floor. The lion felt quiet tears slide down his cheeks. Leo tried to steady his breathing.

However, Leo clenched his teeth and held his head in his paws. He felt like his life was spinning out of his control- which he hated. Po was making no progress in training, Tai Lung was on his way, and Oogway, the only one with a chance at stopping the leopard, had just passed away.

It's as if Life had just spat on his face and told him it was raining.

"Leo?" A voice came from above him. His ears twitched. It was Tigress. The tiger sat down beside him, leaning against the wall. Leo looked up and met her amber eyes. However, he did not say anything. 

"I know you and Oogway were close." She placed her paw on his knee, "I want to express my sympathy." She said softly. Leo smiled gently. He muttered a thanks and ran a paw through his mane.

The silence was not awkward. Leo found it comforting. Even though he did not say anything, he appreciated Tigress's company more than anything. He did not know if he would feel the same way if any of the other members of the five had tried to comfort him.

"I want to fight Tai Lung." Tigress said suddenly, out of the blue. Leo took a steady breath and stood up. His racing mind was suddenly blank. Tigress joined him. He did not believe that he had to tell Tigress to this after Shifu already told her. Leo narrowed his eyes,

"You will not. I have fought Tai Lung before, and he is extremely powerful. He knows just about every skill, trick, and move there is in Kung Fu. You will stay here." He said assertively. Despite being so emotional just five minutes ago, his voice did not shake and his fur remained flat.

Tigress pinned her ears to her head, "Leo, listen to me." She pleaded, "That panda will not be able to stop him. He has not even had an ounce of training. We have been training for years, you have been training your whole life! We can do it!" Her eyes were wide. 

"No." Leo growled, his mane bristling, "I do not want to see you get hurt. Go to bed, we will be training tomorrow." Leo lashed his tail. Even though he hated raising his voice to the one he considered to be his little sister, he had no other choice. Tigress huffed stubbornly. First Shifu, now Leo. Tigress pushed past him and walked outside. He could hear the rest of the Five finish their dinner and make their way outside, passing Leo on the way. They spoke in hushed tones.

Leo's facial features softened. Tigress seemed to be thinking that Leo and Shifu were holding her back. But did she understand he and Shifu wanted the best for her? They only wanted to keep her safe.


	29. The Pool of Sacred Tears

The night was cold. Leo's mane felt heavy on his neck. The lion was sitting on his rump, hugging his knees to him while he looked at the Valley below. His eyes gazed across the Valley that was spread before him, golden dots that were lanterns lit across the valley. He was on the very edge of the cliff that Oogway had ascended on. The Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom was behind him, bare of any leaves or petals, almost as if the tree had died along with Oogway.

Leo, unlike the Furious Five and Po, had not gone to bed. Guilt had caused him to not be able to find sleep. So, instead, he had headed straight to the Peach Tree. The lion had felt like he was stabbed when he saw that the tree was bare. He had collapsed on the edge of the cliff, for grief and sadness had replaced the blood in his veins. But Leo had stopped crying at about midnight, for his eyes had dried out. From then on, he simply sat there, letting reality seep into his skin.

Quiet footsteps approached the lion, but he did not turn and look who it was. The footsteps grew closer and a tiny paw touched his back. It was Shifu. Leo cast a sideways glance at him, but then stared at the ground again. Shifu opened his mouth, as if he were to say something, then closed it. The red panda also seemed to be filled to the brim with grief, but he did not cry as the younger master did. He simply stared forward into space. The two animals sat in silence, breathing quietly.

"Oogway was very proud of you."

Shifu had spoken. Leo lifted his head to see that his master was staring up at him. He felt a small smile appear on his muzzle. Shifu continued, "I remember once, when you were very young, Oogway approached me and said you would be a great warrior one day. You were going to grow into a magnificent creature, he said. He was not wrong." Shifu added quietly, "He never was wrong."

Leo felt his fur heat up, and he chuckled softly. Oogway always knew what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. He never was wrong about anything. Leo glanced over to Shifu and saw that he was holding the tortoise's staff. The lion felt his throat tighten and he looked towards the mountains. The sun was starting to rise at this point, and the stars began to fade as the clouds turned a light pink.

"I wish I could have spoken with him in his last moments. I have so much I still want to say." Leo whispered hoarsely. Shifu laid a tiny paw on Leo's larger paw, and spoke to him quietly,

"Do not worry, Leo. Oogway is always with us. He is somewhere better. One day, when my time is come, I will see him again. And when your time has come, you will see him as well. All in due time." Shifu said quietly. Leo nodded in agreement. Shifu continued speaking, "It is said that grief is all of the love that we can not give. All of that love and respect that we can not give to Oogway is grief." The red panda said. Leo felt his throat tighten. Shifu was right on that one. He wanted to give Oogway so much love, but he could not. Not anymore. Leo stared forward, his mind clearing. The gleaming red sun rose past the mountains and touched his skin, causing the lion to slowly exhale.

A sudden shout caused Leo's ears to twitch. He slowly raised his head. Leo looked over to Shifu, and spoke up, "Did you hear that?" The smaller master raised his head and looked towards the palace. He had heard it. The shouts continued. It sounded like someone was training. But Master Shifu narrowed his eyes in confusion; nobody should be training today, as he had let them have a rest day as they mourned Oogway's passing.

Leo rose to his paws and helped Master Shifu up. The two masters walked in silence as they went to investigate the shouts. As Leo pushed open the doors to the Training Hall, he and Shifu were only met with more confusion. None of the equipment was in use. The Adversary was as still as a statue. The Hall was still, and nobody was in it, yet both of the masters still heard shouts in the air.

"It must be coming from the main Palace." Shifu said quietly, almost to himself. Leo nodded in agreement, though he was still confused. Who in their right mind would be training in the main Palace when they had the Training Hall?

Both the lion and the red panda entered the palace and looked around. The courtyard was empty. They could still hear the sharp cries, and Leo pricked his ears, falling onto all fours and trotting towards the sound. Shifu fell into pace beside him. Leo slowed down as he neared the kitchen. Shifu moved ahead of Leo, hearing that the shouts were coming from the kitchen.

The two masters entered the doorway, and their eyes widened considerably. There, in the middle of the destroyed kitchen, was Po. His cheeks were wide, probably stuffed with food, and his fist was clenched, as if he were about to deliver a punch. Po spotted the two masters and froze, slowly swallowing his food. Shifu, who was beside Leo, looked cautiously around the kitchen. There was not a single piece of furniture that had not been presumably attacked by the panda. The red panda shifted his gaze back to Po, who was staring at Leo with apprehension in his eyes.

"What? I eat when I'm upset, ok?!" He said, swallowing the rest of his food. Shifu narrowed his eyes while Leo took a turn to look at the kitchen. His tail twitched as he saw the broken cabinets and empty pantries. Holes were punched into the wood, leading Leo to believe that Po had physically attacked the kitchen. The panda must have been really upset.

"Oh, no need to explain, Po. I thought you were Monkey, that's all." Shifu said, a glimmer in his eyes. "He always tends to hide his almond cookies on the top shelf." Shifu then turned and left the room. The red panda, eager to see his plan in action, grabbed Leo's tail and impatiently pulled him out of the door. Leo gasped and fell on his rump beside Shifu. But the smaller master frantically motioned for him to be quiet.

Leo heard quick footsteps in the kitchen, followed by a few clangs of what was probably pots and pans. Shifu ran eagerly forward, and his jaw hit the floor. Leo stood on all fours and looked curiously into the room. He was equally as shocked. There, ten feet in the air and doing a magnificent split, was Po. He was eating almond cookies.

"Po..." Leo breathed, almost in disbelief. The panda looked at both him and Shifu, and his eyes widened,

"Don't tell Monkey!" He said, his mouth filled with almond cookies.

"Look at you!" Leo exclaimed, his whiskers twitching eagerly as he stood on his hind legs.

"Yeah, I know, I disgust both of you." Po muttered, glancing at another cookie.

"No! No!" Shifu exclaimed, "How..How did you get up there?" He walked forward, looking at Po.

"I don't know. I was just..I was getting a...cookie." Po replied, eating the cookie in his large paw.

"But you are doing a perfect split ten feet in the air!" Leo said. Po looked around him while Shifu nodded in agreement.

"No! This? This is just an accident." Po said, digging around in the jar for another snack.

Po, Leo Lung, and Shifu stared at each other for a moment. Creaking filled the air as the shelf the Po was resting began to snap. The shelf broke and the panda fell. Leo leapt forward and caught Po by the stomach. He gently placed him on the ground on his feet. Leo moved to stand beside Shifu.

"Thank you, Master!" The panda said. Shifu spoke, a cookie in his hand.

"There are no accidents." Shifu said sagely, handing the cookie to Leo. Shifu continued, "Come with me, Po."

.

.

Leo, Shifu, and Po were trekking through the mountains. They were several miles away from home. Shifu had told Leo, while Po was packing a hiking backpack, that the key to training the giant panda was through food. Leo had agreed. It all made sense. Po could not be trained through fighting and sparring. He needed to be motivated.

Now, the trio was on their way to the Pool of Sacred Tears. Po had asked both of the masters multiple times where they were going, but they both remained in silence until they arrived at their destination. Shifu hopped onto a rock and began meditating. Leo laid down next to him, in a Sphinx style, and began meditating as well. Leo deeply inhaled the morning dew, feeling the peace of the pool touch his fur. About a minute later, Po arrived, panting heavily.

"You...dragged me...all the way out here...for a bath?" Po exclaimed in disbelief, looking around and setting his gear down. He crawled over to the pool and began to pat his armpits with the water. Leo, without even opening his eyes, cringed. Shifu spoke,

"Panda, we do not wash our pits in the Pool of Sacred Tears."

"The pool of...?" Po stopped and glanced at Shifu, almost in surprise. The realization glinted in his eyes.

"This is the very place where Oogway realized the secrets of harmony and focus." Leo said quietly. He opened his eyes and stood up. Shifu did the same, and spoke.

"This... is the birthplace of Kung Fu."

Po held his chest in disbelief. Golden light flooded the clearing and Leo remembered training here with Oogway. It was the best thing he had ever done. Shifu leapt onto the highest rock, doing a couple of demonstration kicks in midair before he landed. Leo copied Shifu, doing a roundhouse kick in midair. Leo landed on all fours on a lower rock, closer to the ground. Po looked at both of them in awe, a huge smile on his muzzle. 

"Do you want to learn Kung Fu?" Shifu demanded.

"Yeah!" Po said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then we are your masters!" Shifu said, gesturing to himself and Leo.

"Ok!" Po said, tears welling up in his eyes. He sniffled.

"Do not cry, Po." Leo said, his whiskers twitching.

Po nodded, wiping the tears away with his forearm. Leo smiled. This was actually going to happen. Po would be trained. Hopefully it would not be too hard.


	30. The Coalition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be very different from the movie. Instead of writing a training scene with Shifu, Leo and Po, I want to add a few 'new' characters in this chapter. In order to do that, the battle with the Furious Five is going to have to be very different. I hope you guys don't mind!

Tai Lung's Point of View

.

I had been running for just over a day now at top speed, and I had yet to break a sweat. I could not tire now. The Dragon Scroll- my Dragon Scroll- was waiting for me in the Jade Palace.

I felt my hackles raise at the thought. Not of the scroll, but of the thought of the occupants of Palace. Master Oogway, Master Shifu, and Leo. I remembered back to when Leo had visited me, almost twenty years ago. I pictured his face, in front of mine, the forgiveness in his eyes. My heart hardened. I roared and swiped at the air in front of me, slashing through the vision. If it were real, Leo would have several scars on his muzzle. That's fine by me.

As I crested a mountain I spotted two houses in the shadow of a mountain. A tiny figure, maybe a goat, tended a garden near the older looking house, while another goat stood outside the second house. I slowed to a quick trot and curled my lips. Should I go around them and save time, or destroy it, like I had the Valley many years ago?

I shrugged nonchalantly and charged down to the small village, a roar building in my throat. The old goat looked up from his garden, his eyes widening in pure terror. He bleated a warning to the rest of the goats, to which there were only two others, an old female and a younger male- maybe their son?

But I cared not for family. I entered the valley and charged straight towards the older male who ran towards the cover of his house. But he was too slow, too late. I bunched my muscles and leapt, my fist connecting with the building that the goat tried to flee to. A terrible groan came from the building as the front wall collapsed and the roof gave in, causing the entire house to be level with the ground.

The entire family cried out, and the stood rooted to the ground, the younger male moving protectively in front of his parents and his home, which was still standing. I stood on all fours, towering over the trio. The son narrowed his eyes and bleated out,

"The Dragon Warrior will stop you!"

"I would like to see him try..." I growled menacingly, my tail lashing.

"He fell out of the sky on a ball of fire! He is invincible! He is a warrior unlike anything you've ever seen!" The goat countered, shaking his head.

{Hmm..} I thought. A ball of fire? How interesting. I have not heard that story yet. But if he could be able to survive a feat like that, he must be a true warrior. I spoke, my whiskers twitching.

"Then maybe he will be a challenge. I would like one." I snarled, leaping clear over the goats and smashing my front paws into the last standing home. The screams behind me were like music to my ears.

The building shook and collapsed, a cloud of dust covering the land. Without another word or a second of hesitation I landed on the ground and ran west, towards the mountains, leaving the family behind to clean up the mess. When the dust cleared, the only thing the goats would see is a mess.

I began to scale another mountain when I heard distant roars from ahead of me. My ears perked up, but I did not slow, for I had a mission. Another roar caused me to look to my left, to the next mountain. Three figures were running down the mountain next to the one I was descending. They were running towards me, roaring up a storm. Were they opponents? I slowed my pace so that the animals could come into focus. They crested the mountain that I was on and began to draw closer to me.

As the trio of animals slowed in front of me, I remained silent as they glared at me. I studied the animals. They were cats, asiatic lions. Like Leo. But I did not let that distract from the fact that the three lions were blocking my way to the palace. I stood on my hind legs and faced the three animals. The one in the middle, who had a dark golden coat with a brown mane with black tips, spoke up,

"Who are you?" His mane was bristling and his golden eyes were narrowed. He was much older than I was. He at least 40 years older than me, but I knew better than to underestimate my opponents based on age. Oogway was at least 200 years old and he still beat me with his nerve point attack. I curled my lips and growled

"What's it to you?" I growled. I did not want to fight, as that would waste energy. But if I had to fight, then I would easily pound these kitties into the ground. Just because I was in prison for 20 years did not mean I was weak.

"You are trespassing. This mountain, and all the mountains from here to the Southern Sea belong to us. Intruders are not tolerated." The lion on the left, a young, quick-looking male with a small golden mane, snarled in my direction. I hissed in return, and spoke up.

"I am Tai Lung. I am going to the Jade Palace to right a wrong that was made 20 years ago." I scowled, the vivid memory of Oogway denying my dream playing in my head. "I am not looking for a fight, but, for your own safety, it would be in your best interest to let me pass." I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise as I prepared for a fight.

The lion on the right, a large male with a black mane, narrowed his brown eyes and growled. He had large muscles, and a long, thin scar on his hip- likely from a sword or dagger. But I was not intimidated by appearances. I mirrored his actions, lashing my tail as I moved to go around them. But the large lion fell onto all fours and lunged towards me, ready to start a fight.

I heard the leader call out to the male to stop, but I ignored him as I grabbed the large lion by the bottom of his jaw and twist him around so that he was facing his comrades. I grabbed one of his arms and twisted it painfully behind his back. I used my other arm to slash as his muzzle and put him in a chokehold. My opponent howled in pain as his shoulder came close to dislocating. I glared at the rest of the two cats, ready to fight them. But they did not move. They looked shocked at the fact that someone beat one of their own so quickly.

But their shock quickly turned to anger as they leapt into action. I smirked confidently, feeling the rush of excitement that came with battling rush into my veins. I lived for this. The smaller, younger male fell on all fours and moved to bite my legs. The leader roared and moved to swipe at my shoulder, his claws gleaming in the dawn light. I dodged backward, causing the older lion's claws to slash at the large male who I still held. He snarled in pain and writhed violently in my grip. His arm reached backward, claws extended, missing my side by mere inches.

Then, I let go of the large male and leapt into the air. My foot shot forward, and kicked him in the back of the head, causing him to fall forward and hit the rocky floor. He stayed down. While I was still in the air I used a split kick, hitting both the leader and the small lion in the head. Both of them fell backwards onto the ground. I landed steadily on my feet. Not yet finished, I grabbed the smaller lion and tossed him into the leader, causing them both to collapse in a heap.

The battle was quick, but exhilarating. The battle at Chor Ghom Prison and this battle had reminded me how fun it was to fight and win. I reveled in the victory for several sweet seconds. It was beautiful, and then I was drawn back down to Earth by my opponents.

The leader groaned in pain and heaved himself to his feet, his tail lashing in order to keep his balance. He looked warily at me, and I glared at him in return. I puffed out my chest and stiffened my body. I looked much stronger, much more like a winner than he did.

"We don't want to get killed." He said, breathing heavily, helping the smaller lion to his feet.

"Then you should forget ever meeting me, and-"

"Maybe we can help you!" The young lion said quickly, earning shocked expressions from his two partners, "You said you had to right a wrong? If you spare our lives, we can help you get revenge." He said, a hopeful look in his eyes.

When I had planned my escape and started my journey, I did not think I would need any help. But, now that I thought it over, I realized I might have been wrong. I would have to face Shifu, Leo andOogway, and possibly any other students Shifu might have taken on during the twenty years I was incarcerated. He could have not apprenticed any more students, or he could have a whole army waiting for me. All of them would trained in Kung Fu.

As much as part of my brain stubbornly insisted on fighting the battles alone, I realized any help would be appreciated. My battle was with Oogway and Shifu. These lions, while not Kung Fu Masters, would help fend off any others while I finished my work.

"Who are you?" I growled, my tail lashing. I did not have time to waste, but if these cats insisted on helping me destroy the Valley and claim my revenge, I would certainly accept their help.

The leader of the trio gestured to the smaller, younger male, "This is Jiyu, my son. He specializes in quick attacks. And this male here" He motioned to the large lion with the scar, who was standing now, "is Zhao. He is my brother. He is also the muscle.

As for me, you can call me Jian."

.

.

The sound of feet pounding the road, wings beating in the air, panting, and the crunching of dry leaves on the ground below was all Tigress had heard for the past day or so. Her golden eyes were locked forward and she ran on all fours towards the Eastern mountains. She was going to fight Tai Lung. But she was not alone, she had her team with her.

Both Master Leo and Master Shifu had ordered her to not fight the snow leopard, but, after seeing Master Shifu speak with Po outside the palace, and remembering all of the training she had taken, Tigress believed she was up to the challenge. Even if she was no match for the leopard, he was outnumbered five to one. They could overwhelm him with sheer numbers if the battle started to grow desperate.

With that reasoning in mind, the Furious Five banded together and left the Valley. They did not know the exact location of the leopard, but they did know that he came from Chor Ghom prison, which was located in the East Mountains. If Tai Lung was headed in the direction of the Valley, then they should be headed right towards each other. So Tigress had alerted her team to keep an eye out. They would scour the land ahead of them and, if they could find Tai Lung, engage him in combat and defeat him.

Tigress felt a new scent waft into her nose. It was fog. They were nearing the Thread of Hope. The Thread of Hope was a series of rope bridges that connected the large mountains that dominated this part of the land. Hopefully they could reach the bridge before Tai Lung. If they could get there before he did, then they could cut the bridge and prevent him from crossing to the Valley of Peace. If the bridge was cut, then the leopard would fall at least a thousand feet to a rocky demise. Even if he did survive, it would take a long time to scale the sheer, rocky mountains and cliffs.

The five warriors finally made it to the beginning of the bridge. Ahead of them, a vast canyon lay before them. Fog and mist prevented Tigress from seeing the bottom, if there was one. She would hate to fall to her death.

Just as Tigress looked up, she saw the very leopard she had come to defeat. Tai Lung waited on the edge of the first bridge. But what surprised her was the fact that he was not alone. Three lions stood behind him, as tall as the leopard was. All four of them were standing ominously still. The snow leopard had not come alone. Tigress wanted to simply ignore them, to defeat Tai Lung and leave them to their own devices, but Tigress knew to never underestimate her opponents.

The Furious Five stared down Tai Lung and his three followers. The tension was thick enough to cut with a sword. Then, Tai Lung fell on all fours and charged across the bridge. The three lions followed suit, roaring as they ran. The bridge began to shake as the four large cats hared across. Tigress snapped out of her shock. Her eyes widened and she turned to the rest of the Five,

"Cut the ropes!" She shouted. If they could get the bridge to fall, then they would win the battle with out landing a single blow. But right as Tigress cut the last rope, Tai Lung and the lions made a great leap. Tigress leapt backwards, as did the rest of the Five. They were too late, and now they would have to fight Tai Lung and these lions, whoever they were. They kind of remind her Leo Lung, but Tigress ignored that thought, and growled.

The four cats landed on the ground on the edge of the cliff. Tai Lung stood quickly, inhaling through his nose, and growled,

"Where is the Dragon Warrior?" He asked. Tigress, saying the only thing she could think to say, spoke,

"How do you know you are not looking at her?" She fell into a sparring stance. The rest of the Five copied her stance. They, almost as much as her, were surprised at seeing that Tai Lung had recruited some help. This would be harder than they thought.

"Haha!" Tai Lung laughed. The lions behind him chuckled. Tai Lung spoke, "Do you think I am a fool? I know you aren't the Dragon Warrior, none of you are!" He growled. Tigress snarled in returned. "I heard how he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire. That he is a warrior unlike anything the world has ever seen!"

"Po?" Monkey asked, looking curiously at Tai Lung.

"So that is his name." The snow leopard said, "Po." He tried the name on his tongue, "Finally, a worthy opponent! The battle will be legendary!"

Tigress roared and leapt at Tai Lung. The snow leopard quickly sidestepped, and hissed at the lions, who were waiting for his order. With that, the three lions leapt at Viper, Crane, Monkey and Mantis while Tigress battled with Tai Lung.

Tigress tried to land a sturdy punch to Tai's face, but he grabbed her wrist and tried to knee her in the stomach. Tigress yanked her wrist free and used her own leg to block Tai Lung's knee attack. She tried, once again, to land a solid blow to the leopard's head, but Tai Lung collided with her, using his sheer size and power to knock her to the ground. Tigress was stunned for a moment when her head hit the hard ground. Not missing a beat, the leopard threw the tiger over the cliff edge.

Crane, who was battling with Jiyu, quickly broke from the fight and took to the sky, unfortunately allowing the lion to attack Viper. Crane soared upward and dived towards Tigress, who was falling down the vast canyon. He stretched out his talons and grabbed her by her shoulders. Tigress glanced up at him, and smiled,

"Thank you.." She said, almost breathlessly. Crane smiled and nodded, dropping her near the edge of the battle. Monkey, Viper, and Mantis were outnumbered, and the large cats were using their size and weight to their advantages. Tai Lung was a ferocious, merciless fighter. He knew that the Five were from the Jade Palace. It was almost as if he wanted to kill them.

Tigress roared loudly and leapt back into the fray. She leapt at Zhao, who was battling Monkey. Monkey, a red scratch on his dark face, looked thankful for the help. He turned and began to battle with Jian. Crane had rejoined the battle, and was helping Mantis to battle Tai Lung.

Tigress slashed Zhao across his large face, but the big lion barely even flinched. He was almost like he had skin for armor! Tigress kicked him in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards. While the lion recovered, the tiger decided to help Viper, who was battling two of the lions at once, Jian and Jiyu.

The bengal tiger leapt at the smallest lion, Jiyu, and landed a palm strike in his chin, causing him to stumble. But he quickly regained and footing. The lion bared his fangs and lashed out at her. But, instead of trying to fight with her like a Kung Fu Warrior, he lashed out with his claws and struck Tigress across the nose. Tigress gasped in pain, feeling blood well up on her nose. Tigress was not used to this type of fighting. It had been years since she had had blood drawn during a battle. She narrowed her eyes landed a solid uppercut on the lion, causing him to fall back.

The Furious Five was starting to turn the battle in their tide. The lion trio was powerful, but they were no match for the Five Kung Fu Masters. Then Tai Lung rejoined the battle. The snow leopard roared and fell onto all four paws. He rushed into the fray, almost a blur with how fast he moved. He leapt at the first animal he saw: Monkey.

Feeling his chi build up in his fist, Tai Lung slammed his fists into the monkey's chest. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground, paralyzed. It was the same move he used on Leo Lung twenty years ago.

"Monkey!" Viper cried. The rest of the five, hearing her cry, stopped battling and glanced at the paralyzed primate. Tai Lung smirked evilly. Tigress' eyes widened to the size of bowls. The battle was going so well in their favor. The four surviving warriors stared in fear at the snow leopard. The three lions, on all fours now, circled their enemies, growling and snarling taunts to them.

"Shifu has taught you well." Tai Lung surged forward again, this time paralyzing Viper. The snake gasped and writhed for a bit before her muscles locked in place. Tai Lung spoke again, "But he did not teach you everything."

He roared and charged forward, the battle won.


	31. Making of a Warrior

It was a nice, clear day. Leo Lung, his mane well groomed and wearing green pants with a dark golden vest, lay down on all fours on a rock formation. Below him lay a beautiful meadow that stretched in every direction, rocks, similar to the ones Leo lay on, occasionally rising from the ground.

In front of Leo was Shifu and Po. The smaller red panda was on a broad, flat rock, a bowl of dumplings hidden behind his back. Po stood loyally in front of him, his elbows held at his sides and standing at attention. There was a large grin on his face. He was very eager to begin. Leo felt happy that the panda was so enthusiastic about learning about their way of life.

"Let me begin by saying this:" Shifu began saying. Po perked up, "when you focus on Kung Fu, when you concentrate, you stink." Po's face visibly fell. Leo narrowed his eyes, but Shifu spoke once again, "But perhaps that is my fault. I can not train you like I have trained the Five, or even Leo Lung. I now see that the way to get through to you," he paused and reached behind his back, "is with this." He held out the bowl of dumplings in front of Po.

"Aww, great! 'Cause I am hungry!" Po said, smiling. He walked slowly over to the dumplings, reaching out a fat paw to grab a dumpling. But, before he could grab one, Shifu moved the bowl before he could take one. Shifu nodded to Leo, his cue to come down and join him, "When you have been trained, you may eat. Let's begin!" Shifu said.

Leo stood up and stretched, leaping nimbly off of the rock and standing on his legs, walking over to Shifu. The red panda gave Leo a dumpling, and the lion took it in his large paw. Shifu then addressed Po, "If you are so hungry, take the dumpling from Leo. Leo, you know what to do."

On the way to the meadow, Leo had already been instructed on this first lesson. Po would simply try to grab the dumpling out of Leo's paw, and Leo had to play keep-away. It would be a good starting lesson.

"This should be easy!" Po underestimated. How hard could taking one dumpling be? Leo smirked at his overconfidence, eager to prove him wrong. Po lunged forward, with a karate-like yell, both of his large arms swinging as he tried to take the dumpling from Leo. The lion skillfully switched the dumpling from paw to paw, allowing Po to constant run back and forth as he tried to forcefully take the one food item. Leo let the dumpling slide down his arm onto his leg, where it rested in the corner of where his foot met his leg,

"Look downward, panda!" Leo teased playfully, wiggling his foot as he held it up. Po ducked down and tried to take the dumpling, but the cat kicked the dumpling into the air and grabbed it out of the sky, leaving Po to try and grab it.

This went on for about 20 more minutes. Po would try to steal the dumpling, but Leo would move out of the way. When Shifu, who was watching from the rock he sat upon, called for the exercise to end, the giant panda was panting. He collapsed on his butt. Apparently, Po had been exercising more than he thought. His arms moving quickly back and forth to grab the dumpling and his legs trying to maneuver around Leo had given him more exercise than he would get from three days worth of noodle-making.

The sun was starting to set, but Shifu had another exercise for Po. This one would require a bowl of salad and some hot stones. When Shifu informed Leo of this one, he was quite shocked. Po would do push-ups and every time he went down he would have to get as close as he could to the salad with out burning his fur on the stones.

Po did not really like this one, but he still participated. He got down on all fours and tried his best to eat the salad without hurting himself. Leo encouraged him and gave him positive reenforcement while Shifu watched silently, nodding in approval whenever the panda managed to take a bite of the salad. This exercise would help strengthen Po's core. It would help become stronger while hopefully slimming down his large belly.

When Shifu called for this lesson to end about 20 minutes or so later, Po collapsed on his side and gasped, holding his stomach. The panda wheezed for breath, his chest rising and falling dramatically. Leo chuckled and took away the salad bowl, taking a couple bites as he watched Po catch his breath. Leo remembered when Shifu had made him endure his first core exercise. He was the same way/

Luckily for Po, Shifu decided to call it a night and let Po sleep. The panda smiled and rolled over onto his stomach and tried to stand up. Leo extended his paw and helped him stand. Po thanked him, reaching for the bowl of salad. Leo smirked and moved it out of the way. Po groaned in annoyance, and moved to his hiking bag, which had his blankets in it.

As the panda began to settle in for the night, Leo yawned and decided to do the same. Leo cursed himself for forgetting to bring his own blanket and pillow. In his excitement to begin training the panda, the lion had forgotten one. {Oh well..} He thought to himself {No point feeling sorry for myself.} He would have to do without one. The lion glanced around for a place to rest. Leo found a soft patch of moss not far from where Po was already snoring. Moss was a poor substitute for a pillow, but complaining would not get him anywhere. Leo jogged over and, after sniffing the moss to make sure it was not dry and crinkly, he collapsed on top of it and lay in a fetal position, trying to conserve heat.

A quiet ahem made Leo lift his head and glance to his left. Shifu stood there with a large blanket, a pillow on top of it. Shifu had remembered to a pillow for Leo. Leo smiled sleepily and heaved himself to his four paws. His paws made almost no noise as he walked over to the red panda,

"I will not be sleeping tonight. I will meditate instead. You may use my blanket and pillow." Shifu said softly, as to not wake the sleeping panda.

"Thank you, Master." Leo purred and gently lay down. He drew the cover up to his mane and lay his head on the pillow. Shifu silently walked over to a nearby rock and hopped on top. He crossed his legs and sat down. Leo watched as Shifu inhaled quietly.

Leo turned away from Shifu and closed his eyes. Po still had a long way to go. Tai Lung would be here soon. Hopefully Po's training would be smooth. The Valley counted on it.

Several Days Later

The day was just beginning. The sun climbed slowly over the mountains, steadily blanketing the land in warm, golden light. The land was beginning to wake up, but there were three animals who have been awake for some time already.

Master Shifu, Master Leo, and Po were still up in the mountains. Po's training was continuing at a good pace, and he was definitely improving. He would become a great opponent when he was fully trained.

Currently, Leo stood in a treetop breathing in the fresh air. His mane blew gently in the wind and his whiskers twitched occasionally. Shifu was standing only a branch lower than him.

And on that same branch as Shifu was Po the panda. His short, stubby legs were hooked on the branch so that he was hanging up-side down. He was doing a sort of sit up, where if he sat up completely, he could reach Shifu, who was perched on the branch with some dumplings.

But, even though Po was trying his hardest, he could barely pull himself up. Leo frowned as the branch creaked and broke. Shifu, quickly realizing the danger, leapt out of the way, quickly abandoning the bowl of dumplings in his paw. Leo, though not directly affected, dug his claws into the bark of the tree, just to be safe. Po grabbed onto the base of the branch to try and hold on, but even still the branch broke. He made a desperate grab for the bowl of dumplings, but he fell a short distance to a grassy platform below. He did not get any food. But Shifu, thinking fast, reached out with his cane and grabbed the bowl carefully, catching all of the dumplings.

Leo gazed carefully down at Po. It would be a long day.

.

That evening, Shifu had filled another bowl with some vegetables and gave Leo a large Bo Staff,

"Do not let Po eat this. Do not target him, but target the bowl. Try to break it. He will be forced to defend the food he wants to eat, and will try to defend himself. I will be watching, and I will see how far he has come." Shifu said, holding the large rod out to Leo. He nodded and took the staff, twirling it slowly, while Shifu called for Po to begin his next lesson. Leo moved behind some rocks so Po would not grow suspicious.

Po eagerly dashed over- as fast as a panda could dash- and he eyed the bowl of food hungrily. Shifu smiled warmly and handed him the bowl, as well as some chopsticks to eat them with. But Po, being the panda that he was, tossed the chopsticks aside. Leo then leapt out from behind the rock. He pushed the rod forward and hit Po in the biceps. Leo continued to hit and swipe at Po with the staff. The panda yelped and moved the bowl of food into the crick of his elbow, trying to protect it from the assaulting lion. Po tried to back up, but Leo twirled the rod under his arm and smashed the bowl. The contents, and porcelain shards, spilled onto the ground below.

"Well done, Po." Shifu said, "While you were not able to completely shelter yourself or the bowl from Leo's onslaught, you are undoubtedly growing in the ways of Kung Fu."

"Thank you so much, Master Shifu! And you, too, Master Leo Lung!" Po bowed fervently to the two of them. While the panda, most of the time, had the stamina of a rock, he was certainly passionate enough to learn. Leo smiled. Shifu ordered Po to clean up the bowl and the food, and when was finished they would begin the next lesson.

As Shifu and Leo began prepping for the next class, Shifu beckoned Leo over. When the lion approached, Shifu talking to Leo, "I would like to test Po's balance. You can not stand unless you balance."

"You are correct, Master. I would like to see what you have planned." Shifu smiled and filled up several bowls. Shifu would not tell Leo any more, but Leo was eager to see what the older animal had in mind.

.

The three animals began to hike up to a mountain top. Po got a little winded around halfway to the top, but he was still enthusiastic to begin. As the three animals reached the peak of the mountain, Shifu spoke to Po, "You have three bowls this time. You a-"

"Aww that is awesome. I could go for something to eat right now!" Po said, relief in his voice as he huffed.

"Not quite yet, Po." Leo reassured the panda. Po looked confused to a moment. Shifu then spoke, "You must learn to balance before you can stand."

So, for the rest of the evening, Po balanced one bowl of hot soup on his head, and two in each of his large paws. He held his arms out to his sides and stood on one leg. Leo stood in a rigid sparring stance, punching the air in front of him. Leo kept his head steady, for Master Shifu was on top of his mane, delivering roundhouse kicks while watching Po's balancing.

That lesson was successful. Although Po had spilled the bowl on his head, he had managed to keep his arms steady. Both Leo and Shifu had praised the panda. That night, before Shifu and Leo went to sleep, Shifu had allowed Po to go to sleep early. The panda was ecstatic. This was one of the first lessons where he did not completely fail. Po had went to sleep early that night, before the sun had even set, while Leo trained several hours or so while Shifu meditated and prepared for tomorrow's lesson. When Leo had gone to sleep somewhere around midnight, only then did Shifu realize the magnitude of the situation he was in.

Tai Lung was returning. He would most likely be filled with rage, and, if nothing had changed while he was incarcerated, would take his anger out on anything that was in his sight. If Tai Lung attacked Leo, or Tigress, or even Po, what would he do? What could he do?

Shifu felt his heart wrench at the thought of losing one of his students to a crazed snow leopard. {A crazed snow leopard that I created..} Shifu thought, staring at the ground in despair. But then the red panda took in a deep breath, held it for a second, and exhaled. He would have to be calm to train Po. The panda would know if he was angry or upset. And so would Leo.

So Shifu tried to distract himself. He tried meditating, but every time he closed his eyes he felt fear enter his mind in the form of Tai Lung. Shifu tried something different. He began to count how many trees he could spot in the moonlight, but he gave up after only counting four. Shifu looked around, trying to find anything to take his mind off of Tai Lung, and he spotted the bowls he used for Po's training. He only had three surviving bowls, after three of them broke during training. He would have to ask Leo to get some more.

Shifu sighed and walked over to the Pool of Sacred Tears, which was not too far from where Leo and Po slept. Shifu knelt in front of the pool, putting his cane next to his body. He did the only thing he thought to do: Pray. He prayed to Oogway, wherever he was, begging him for some peace, or knowledge, or sleep, or answers to questions that dwelled in his mind. Whichever came first. Shifu knew that Oogway would not give him something if he simply asked for it. Oogway would give it to him when the time was right, when he needed it most.

So the red panda stood up and looked towards the moon. It was just a sliver of light, like a cat's claw or rhino horn, in the night. Shifu sighed shakily and began to make his way back to bed. He prayed nightmares would not come for him tonight.

.

.

The next morning, Leo was shaken awake by Shifu. The lion moaned as the red panda shook him out of his slumber, "Leo. I need you to do me a favor." Shifu said. Leo blinked his golden eyes open and raised his head. Shifu glanced at him as Leo stood on his hindlegs and stretched.

"What is it, Master?" Leo asked, shaking his head to get rid of the last remnants of sleep.

"I am running short on bowls. I have enough to last the next lesson, but I need you to return to the Palace and retrieve a few more. Please return before noon." Shifu said, gazing over at the four bowls and the cauldron. The cauldron was half-full of soup that Shifu had cooked earlier this morning. It would be used for today's lesson.

Leo nodded and bowed wordlessly. The Palace was not too far, just two mountains over. If he ran, he would be back in only about thirty minutes. Leo did not want to miss any of Po's training, even though Po was still sleeping, so the lion fell onto all fours and galloped away.

The morning air rushed through his mane. The sunlight began to warm his golden fur. Leo beamed as he ran down the mountain. A small green plain welcomed him at the bottom of the mountain, and Leo slowed to a quick trot as he felt the tall blades of grass brush against his shoulders. Leo wondered what it would be like to simply live in a plain like this. No Kung Fu, no sparring or training, just living. He imagined it would be peaceful. Leo gazed at the first mountain he would have to climb.

Leo bunched his muscles and leapt onto a nearby boulder, then to another. He used the method to scale the mountain, as opposed to meticulously clambering over every last pebble. Leo reached the top of the mountain and grazed around him. Behind him, Po and Master Shifu were mere specks behind him. In front of him, another mountain loomed, but he could see the glint of the Jade Palace in the morning light. He was almost there.

As he ran down the mountain and towards the Valley, Leo wondered what Tigress was doing. Did she know that Shifu and Leo had taken Po to train? Maybe she could assist in Po's training. Although she had not been the kindest animal to Po when he first arrived, Leo could convince her to have a change of heart. Leo began to climb down the mountain.

The large lion began to slow as he entered a small pathway on the side of the mountain. If he made one wrong move, it was likely that Leo would tumble down the mountainside. While Leo was not afraid of heights, he did not want to get bruised and beaten from the long fall that awaited him if he was clumsy. So he continued down the pathway at a trot until he reached the bottom.

The ground began to even out under Leo's paws, and he reached the valley of the second mountain. He had entered the Valley of Peace. All he had to do was cross through the small city and enter the Palace. Leo began to speed up to a gallop. The rush of air felt good on his fur, which was a light golden in the dawn light. Some of the citizens waved at Leo as he hared past.

.

.

Several more minutes had passed before Leo Lung had finally arrived at the Jade Palace. Leo breathed in the familiar scent of the Palace. He had not been here in several days. Leo smiled.

But when Leo pushed open the doors to the Palace, he was met with silence. At first he did not think much of it. The Furious Five did not usually make that much noise. Leo shrugged. He was simply here to grab some training supplies, he did not have time to socialize.

Leo shook his mane and stood onto his legs, stretching his front arms and making his way to the kitchen. What concerned Leo was how quiet the Palace was. The servants were trained to be silent so as not to disturb the masters, but Leo could not find Tigress or any of the Five anywhere. Leo narrowed his eyes and entered the kitchen. Nobody was in here. Not even Monkey, who loved to eat cookies in his spare time. Leo shook his head and moved to the cabinets. Shifu had not specified how many bowls he needed, so Leo just guessed. He grabbed three more bowls and held them in one large paw.

Now finished with his simple task, Leo began to return the training grounds. As he walked back out to the courtyard, Leo got the sense that something was terribly wrong. Even on off days, the Five were usual up and around by now. They never slept in too late. Monkey, sometimes, but Tigress? Never! Leo steered off course and went to the dorm rooms.

He opened the door and peeked inside. The dorms were silent. No snoring animals or idle chatter. Leo's heart began to pound. Leo began to jog towards the Training Hall. Maybe they were building up their stealth in the Hall?

Leo used his free hand and heaved the large doors open. The Hall was still. No animals were inside. Leo felt his mane prickle. Something was not right. {Tell Shifu.} A voice in his head said. Leo sighed shakily and ran outside, having to run on his hind legs to avoid getting the dishes dirty.

Leo began to climb the first mountain and looked behind him to the palace. It was frighteningly empty. Leo shook his head and made his way back to Shifu and Po. Hopefully Shifu would know what to do.

.

.

"They are what?!"

Shifu's normally calm face was now sporting a look of complete disbelief and confusion. When Leo had returned around midday to find Shifu doing more food-based exercises and lessons with Po, Leo had decided not to tell Shifu that moment that the Five were missing. It would be best not to worry Po, especially with all of the weight of training on his wide shoulders.

But, that evening, once Po was fast asleep, Leo did not hesitate to tell Shifu what he found at the Palace- or more specifically, what he did not find in the Palace. Shifu was dumbstruck,

"Was Tigress there when we left? Or any of the Five, for that matter?" Leo whispered, for he did not want to wake up Po.

"I can not remember. However, I do know that they were at the Palace the night before we left. But I did not see her, or any of them for that matter, that morning." Shifu narrowed his eyes and stared up at the night sky, hoping the answers would come to him.

"Would they have any reason to leave?" Leo pondered. His tail swished along the ground, causing several grass blades to rustle.

Shifu felt terror creep into his veins. They did have a reason to leave. That reason was the very thing- the very snow leopard- Shifu was training Po for. Shifu spoke so quietly Leo did not hear him, "Tai Lung."

"What was that, Master?" Leo pricked his ears up, straining to hear the red panda's words. But, instead of answering Leo Lung's question, the older master remained quiet. Shifu's eyes were wide and he silently walked over to the Pool of Sacred Tears,

"I am going to pray. Join me if you want, or sleep."  
.

.

The next day was Po's final day of training. Shifu had accelerated it, with breathing exercises, situps, hikes, balance tests, push-ups, and more. Po had not eaten in a long time. but Po seemed to have no problem with it. He was doing excellent anyways. Every time he made progress, Leo praised him, and Po lived for it. He strove to impress his master, and he worked as hard as physically possible. And it paid off! Po was more than twice as agile as he was three weeks ago, and his large belly was had started to shrink.

Master Shifu had cooked some dumplings and put them in a singular bowl. He had a plan to test Po. Leo was in on it as well, and he thought it would be pretty genius. So Leo called for Po, who was drinking some water from a stream. The large panda hurried over, and eagerly sat down in front of Leo and Shifu, who were sitting side by side.

Leo smiled at Po and gently pushed the bowl towards him. Shifu spoke,

"After you, panda." Shifu smiled.

Po stopped short, quickly suspicious, "Just like that? No sit-ups? No-No-No ten mile hike?" He asked, looked at both of the masters in front of him.

"Leo and I have vowed to train you. You have been trained! You are free to eat." Shifu said, pointing his own chopsticks at the bowl of dumplings.

Po sat down heavily, and quickly grabbed a pair of chopsticks. He gazed suspiciously at the red panda, then at the asian lion. Po quickly grabbed a dumpling and stared wide-eyed at Shifu.

"Enjoy, Po." Leo rumbled, flicking his tail. Po smiled and began to raise the dumpling to his mouth. Leo flicked Shifu with his tail tuft, and the red panda leapt into action.

Whoosh!

"Hey!?" Po exclaimed, startled and confused. His chopsticks were empty.

Shifu licked his lips and swallowed. He looked at Po, like nothing was wrong, "I said you are free to eat. Have a dumpling!" He insisted. Shifu discreetly nudged Leo with his tail. He smirked.

Po took another dumpling. He was about to raise the dumpling to his lips when Leo leapt across the table, using his paw to uppercut the dumpling into the air. Leo then used his own chopsticks to grab the food item and shove it into his mouth. He wasted no time chewing and simply swallowed it, sighed and looking at Po with a blank look. The panda glared at him in return, a scowl forming. Leo spoke,

"Po, you are free to eat." He said slowly.

"Am I?!" Po demanded, upset.

"Are you?" Shifu challenged.

Master Leo, Master Shifu, and Po all readied their chopsticks for what was to come. Leo felt adrenaline fill his veins. Even though this like would not be a physical battle, like the ones Leo was used to, he was still excited and eager for the battle that was to start.

Po slammed his fist into the bowl, sending the dumplings sky high. Shifu acted quicker and leapt into the air, using his chopsticks to stuff many of the dumplings into his mouth. He was even considerate enough to toss on to Leo, who quickly swallowed it.

And then there was only one dumpling. As the last one fell, Po eagerly jumped up, opening his mouth widely for the dumpling to fall in. But Leo was faster. He reached out with his pair of chopsticks and grabbed the dumpling straight out of the giant panda's mouth. Po looked shocked, and he tumbled to the ground clumsily.

Leo stood on his hind legs. He stared at Po as he quickly righted himself. He used his to chopsticks try and take the dumpling, but Leo and Shifu pushed his hand into the bowl.

Now, all three animals fought over the single dumpling. The bowl tilted as each of the three animals tried to grab at the dumpling. Then, Shifu, always a schemer, flipped the bowl over, as well as the other three.

Then the battle turned into a game of Shells. Shifu and Leo began mixing and switching all the bowls, while Po looked on. A determined look crossed Po's face and he suddenly shot out his paw, grabbing one of the bowls and stopping the movement of the bowls. Po flipped the bowl over and saw the dumpling inside. He cheered and tried to grab it with his chopsticks, but Leo and Shifu put up a fight.

Po, deciding to try something different, tossed the bowl aside and tried to grab the dumpling in his paw. But Shifu used one of his chopsticks and threw the stick towards the dumpling. Then, like a spear, the chopstick sliced into the dumpling and flew through the air. The chopstick then stuck into the underside of a branch of a nearby tree. All three animals looked up.

Leo threw his chopsticks aside, fell onto a fours and charged towards the tree. His claws unsheathed and he leapt onto the bark. Leo dug his claws into the tree as he clambered up to the branch where the dumpling was. Shifu and Po watched as the lion made his way onto the branch. Leo, claws holding onto the bark, slowly crawled over to the chopstick. A low groaning made Leo's mane prickle. The branch was beginning to break!

Shifu and Po began sparring on the ground below while Leo cautiously crawled over to the dumpling. The dumpling was beginning to slip off of the chopstick! Leo slowly reached his large arm around and began to try to grab the dumpling. But Leo had been too slow. When he tried to grab it, the dumpling fell off of the chopstick and fell towards Shifu and Po, who were sparring.

Po saw that the dumpling was falling, and tossed Shifu to the side. He opened his mouth and leapt under the dumpling, eager to eat. But Shifu used his chopsticks to grab the panda's chin, effectively closing his mouth. Po tried to swipe Shifu to the side, but the red panda was persistent.

Leo Lung, eager to rejoin the battle, leapt off of the branch and fell to the ground below. He landed on all fours and saw Po sparring with Shifu. Leo grabbed the dumpling out of midair and swiped it away. The dumpling flew in the air, and Po, turning and seeing it, gave chase.

Shifu grinned and glanced at Leo. Leo returned the gaze and beamed. The two animals began to chase Po, Shifu even grabbing his Bo Staff. Leo leapt onto a large rock and leapt over Po, nudging the dumpling ahead of him. Po grabbed Leo's arm and yanked him downward. Leo shot his arm forward in a palm strike, but Po used his large arm to block it. Leo leapt backwards as Shifu began to use his bamboo staff to attack Po. The two animals began to spar in quick, sharp movements. Even though Shifu was much more agile than Po, Po held his own.

Po then threw Shifu aside and leapt into the air, using his still large belly to bump the dumpling out of the way of Leo and Shifu. Shifu's eyes widened and Leo's mouth gaped. Po landed on his two feet, no wobbling a little bit, and grabbed the dumpling out of midair. Both of the masters beamed. Leo felt pride swell in him and Shifu was filled with wonder.

Po looked back at his two masters, and then back at his dumpling. Shifu bowed his head and held out his paw- an invitation to go ahead and eat. But, to both Leo and Shifu's surprise, Po tossed the dumpling into Shifu's open paw.

When Po was met with both Leo and Shifu's questioning glances, he answered simply,

"I am not hungry." Shifu smiled at that. Po continued, "Masters." He put his paws together and bowed. Leo stood on all fours, put his front paws together, and bowed. Shifu did the same. Master and pupil bowed to each other.

Po was now a warrior.


	32. The Lung Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shifu and Leo Lung face off against Tai Lung, Jian, Jiyu, and Zhao

It was just past noon. Po's training was complete. Leo felt pride rise in him as he gazed at the large panda, who had an easy spring in his step. Po was extremely happy to have finished his training. The red panda, the giant panda, and the asian lion were on their way back to the Palace.

But, as the trio approached the Palace, Leo felt anxiety twinge in his heart. He flicked Shifu with his tail. The red panda looked up at him and mouthed What is it? and Leo frowned. He leaned in towards the red panda and inquired about Tigress and the Five. The smaller master sighed,

"I can only hope that, wherever they are, they have returned." He said quietly, so that Po could not hear. Po was already ecstatic, no need to ruin his mood.

"Do you think they went to stop.. him?" Leo wanted to know. If Tigress had gone after Tai Lung...well, Leo did not want to know what would happen.

"Hopefully t-"

"We're back! Woohoo!" Po cheered, pushing open the doors to the palace. He grinned as he looked around the Palace grounds. Shifu plastered a smile on his face as he looked around the Palace, hoping to find some trace of the Furious Five anywhere. But they were missing. He frowned

"I am so happy! Woo hoo hoo!" Po exclaimed. Leo decided to speak,

"Indeed, Po, you have done well." The lion said, feeling his mane prickle. He forced it flat and smiled at Po. The panda beamed.

"Done well? Done well!? I've done awesome!" He shouted, throwing his fists into the air.

"The mark of a true hero is humility..." Shifu said quietly, then he spoke after a moment's thought, "but yes, you have done awesome."

Po laughed, and Shifu and Leo decided to join in to try and ease up the tension that hung over the two masters. Leo felt his heart begin to pound again. Something was definitely wrong.

The beating of wings caused Leo to turn around and look to the skies. It was Crane! He was carrying something!

"Look! Master Shifu! It is Crane!" Leo gasped, pointing at the bird. Shifu whipped around, his eyes wide. Crane dove towards the palace grounds, and he crashed in a heap.

With horror, Leo realized that Crane was carrying the Five! Tigress, Mantis, Viper, and Monkey were all paralyzed!

"Huh? Guys? Guys!" Po exclaimed, throwing his backpack to the side and rushing over the the warriors.

"What happened, Crane?" Leo demanded. Shifu, horrified, staggered over his students.

"Are they dead? No! They are sleeping? But their eyes are open!"

"They have been paralyzed, Po!" Leo interrupted, running a paw over Tigress's body, which was curled in a fetal position.

"We were no match for his nerve attack.." Crane said, struggling to lift his head. He exhaled weakly and collapsed to the ground, his legs twitching from the extended flight with the precious cargo.

"He has gotten stronger." Shifu exhaled, working to free the five.

"Who? Tai Lung? He has gotten stronger?" Po asked as Shifu first freed Viper, then Mantis, then Monkey. Monkey's fist shot through the air, almost striking Shifu, but then he realized he was back home, instead of in the battlefield,

"He was so fast!" Monkey said.

Shifu nodded to Leo, and Leo began to work to free Tigress. Leo inhaled. He had not worked to free a paralyzed victim in a long time. But Leo shook his mane and began to tap on Tigress's pressure points. Then, as if on cue, the tiger inhaled sharply and glanced at Leo, then to the ground, ashamed,

"I thought we could stop him and his followers.."

"What?" Leo, Shifu, and Po all looked at her, confused. Tai Lung had followers? Were they powerful? Would they pose a threat to the Valley?

"Yeah.." Viper said, wincing as she slithered forward, "There were three lions, just like Leo. They are strong, and work together like a team." She said. Leo felt the eyes of the other seven animals on him, searching for his reaction. His mane prickled and his claws flexed. Leo looked to Shifu to see what he had to say. The red panda inhaled slowly, and spoke,

"While Tai Lung has grown stronger and developed a following, he will not strike fear into our hearts."

"It..it might have. I am a little scared." Po uttered, glanced at the battle-worn masters around him.

"You can and will defeat him, panda."

"Are you kidding?" Po demanded, "If Tai Lung and those other warriors could defeat these five Kung Fu masters, then how I am going to do it?" He asked.

"Because you will have something that they will not." Shifu immediately answered, walking towards the Hall of Sacred Warrriors. Leo inhaled sharply and followed. Po, realizing what was about to happen, eagerly trailed the red panda. The Furious Five followed.

Shifu pulled open the doors to the Hall of Sacred Warriors and Po gasped, "You really believe I am ready?"

"I know you are, Po." Leo said, looking at Po. Leo put a large paw on Po's shoulder and spoke in hushed tones to him, "Remember Po, I do not know what you will read, nor will Shifu or Tigress or anyone, but the Dragon Scroll will give you power. It is said that you could hear and fee the wingbeat of a single butterfly. You will see light in the darkest cave, and feel the universe around you."

"Woah! That is so cool!" Po said, "Can I do a quadruple backflip? Punch through walls?"

"Focus." Shifu said abruptly.

A sudden silence fell over the hall as Shifu approached a rack that held Grandmaster Oogway's wooden staff. Candles surrounded the rack and Shifu gingerly took the staff from the rack. Master Leo, Po, and the Furious Five stood by silently as Shifu carried the staff towards the Reflecting Pool. Shifu bowed his head, and closed his eyes. Shifu raised the staff above his head. Po, Leo, and the others watched expectantly.

Then, without a sound, peach blossoms on the surface of the pool began to rise in a flickering, spinning cloud above the pool. The gentle tornado began to rise towards the scroll, which was held in the golden dragon's mouth in the ceiling. A single petal landed on the lid of the scroll, and it was dislodged. The scroll began to fall, but Shifu reached out with Oogway's staff and caught it. A single ripple formed in the pool, and Shifu's ears pricked forward.

Master Shifu turned back to Po, holding out the scroll, "Behold. The Dragon Scroll. Read it, Po, and become the universe's chosen warrior. Fulfill your destiny and become...the Dragon Warrior!"

Po was silent, but his giddiness was obvious as he eagerly took the scroll, trying to open it. The canister did not budge. Po strained at it, moaning as it remained shut. Leo looked at Shifu in exasperation. Shifu shook his head and took the scroll canister. He effortlessly popped the lid open and handed it back to Po,

"Thank you. I probably loosened it up for ya..." Po muttered. He slid the scroll out and hesitated, letting the weight of it all seep in. The Furious Five glanced on in awe, Leo in pride, and Shifu in anticipation.

Golden light bathed Po's face, and Leo felt his mane prickle. Then, suddenly,

"AHHHHH!" Po looked utterly terrified.

Leo's eyes widened and his mane bushed. Shifu looked extremely concerned, while Tigress and the Five looked worried. Leo shot a look over to Shifu, who returned his glance with an equal amount of concern.

"IT'S BLANK!" Po shouted.

"What?!" Leo and Shifu exclaimed at the same time.

"Here! Look!" Po shoved the scroll into Shifu's face.

"No! I forbidden to look upon it!" Shifu said, trying to cover his eyes. But the damage was done, and he snatched the scroll from Po. He repeatedly opened and closed the scroll, his look of confusion and disbelief growing.

"It's blank. I..I don't understand!" He said, astonished.

"So Oogway was just a crazy old turtle after all?" Po asked dejectedly.

"Oogway was wiser than us all." Shifu said.

"Oh come on! Oogway picked me by mistake. I am not meant to be the Dragon Warrior!" Po said, sitting heavily on the floor. Nobody argued with him. Shifu looked tired, Leo looked discouraged, and the Five looked confused.

"What will we do about Tai Lung and the lions?" Tigress asked innocently. Shifu placed the scroll back in the canister and sealed it. He looked oddly calm when he turned around.

"He will destroy everything in sight." Crane said.

"He will not." Shifu said, looking at all of his students, "You all must evacuate the Valley. Get all of the villagers out."

"What about you?" Leo asked softly. He felt like he knew what Shifu would say before he even said it,

"I will remain behind. I will fight him. I can stall Tai Lung long enough to get the villagers out."

"He will kill you. I can't let you face him, and those lions, alone." Leo said, lashing his tail.

"If he kills me, then I will pay for the mistakes I made many years ago."

Po and the Five looked devasted. But Leo had a look of determination on his face. He growled and flexed his claws, "I will battle his followers. Po, Tigress, the rest of you, you must evacuate the villagers. The safety of the Valley comes above all else. Go."

Crane slowly put his wing on Po's shoulder, pulling him backwards. Po resisted for a moment, looking sadly at Shifu and Leo. He had grown so close to the two, he hated leaving them behind. He wanted to badly to stay and help.

Shifu saluted to Po, and Po returned the gesture. Po saluted to Leo, and Leo saluted bowed his head in respect,

"I wish I was brave enough to fight with you two." Po said sadly.

"Po, you are the bravest panda I ever met. It's a wonder why you are not a lion like me." Leo rumbled softly. Po smiled, and turned to leave.

Shifu and Leo waited until he, as well as the rest of the Furious Five, had all left the Palace Grounds, and they turned to each other. They gazed sadly at each other, seeming to accept what was to come. The two masters moved to the outside of the Hall. The stairs stretched out below them, and Leo saw Po and the Furious Five beginning to lead the villagers away.

The lion glanced upwards and saw that clouds were forming. A storm was beginning to brew. This was it. Leo sighed, and closed his eyes. He clenched his fists and released them again.

Leo, feeling the familiar adrenaline of battle rush into his veins, fell onto all fours. He flexed his pearl-white claws on the stone floor, and felt his muscles twitch. His mane began to spike, giving him a bigger and scarier appearance.

He had one thing to do before Tai Lung entered the Valley. Leo inhaled deeply, opened his mouth and roared as loud as his vocals allowed. The roar was as loud as an explosion, and it rolled up the mountains and back down again. His teeth gleamed in the light, and his eyes were squeezed shut. Shifu, who stood behind him, trembled as the soundwaves rocked through his small body. It was like thunder had boomed right in front of him. The ground seemed to shake; his roar carried one message, and one message only.

Intruders will be destroyed.

.

.

A storm was brewing. The Valley of Peace was not peaceful. Villagers were somber as they left behind their homes. Children cried when, in the chaos of the evacuation, they were separated from their parents. Animals panicked and tried to pack as many items as they could in their wagons. Worried shop owners tried to pack their wares into carts. Everyone was evacuating.

Leading the evacuation was Master Crane, a lantern in his beak and another in his talons. Master Tigress, Master Mantis, Master Viper, and Master Monkey all helped guide the villagers. They tried to keep as much order and peace in the large group as they could.

In the very back of the evacuation was Po the Panda. He was standing sadly with his father and looking solemnly up in the mountains, at the Palace that stood on the top.

At the Jade Palace, Master Leo Lung, the powerful asian lion, stood rigid. He was on all fours, his front paws together and his head lifted high. Leo Lung was wearing his signature outfit: his dark green robe and his green pants with golden accents. His full, brown mane blew in the wind, and he inhaled deeply through his nose. His golden eyes scanned the Valley below him.

Next to him stood his mentor: Master Shifu, the red panda. Shifu was wearing a brown robe with a dark belt and brown pants. As opposed to Leo Lung being barefoot, Shifu wore sandals on his back feet. He also stood upright on his back legs, unlike Leo Lung, who was on all four paws.

Leo Lung turned his head towards his Master, and spoke, "Whatever may happen in the next few hours, I am proud to have been your apprentice." His voice was a low rumble.

Master Shifu frowned, but did not reply. A powerful gust of wind blew the gates to the Palace wide open. Lightening crackled, and thunder boomed.

And there he was. A large, formidable snow leopard stood several steps below Shifu and Leo Lung. Several more steps below the snow leopard stood three fierce asian lions: Jian, Jiyu, and Zhao

"I have come home, Master Shifu." The snow leopard spoke.

"This is no longer your home, and I am no longer your master." Shifu spoke, looking the leopard straight in his fiery golden eyes.

"Yes, you have a new favorite. Where is this...Po?"

"You will leave Po out of this." Leo Lung growled, baring his teeth. The three lions behind the snow leopard began to growl quietly.

"Hello, brother." Tai Lung said, purring towards Leo Lung. Leo's nostrils flared and he narrowed his eyes, his ears pinned back against his head. Tai Lung feigned a look of hurt, "So that is how it is going to be?" He whispered.

"That is how it must be." Shifu fell into a sparring stance. Beside him, Leo Lung rose to his full height. He towered over Shifu. Tai Lung and the trio of lions, being several steps below him, were also shorter than the lion. Leo shrugged off his green robe. It pooled at his feet, and now all he was wearing was his green and gold pants.

Tai Lung turned his back to his brother and his master. He nodded subtly to the three lions, and then leapt into the air in a roar. The three lions charged forward, aiming their sharp claws at Shifu's small body. But Shifu leapt backwards and Leo moved to intercept them. The battle was on.

Leo quickly began analyzing his situation. There were three lions: Jiyu, the smallest and quickest. He was much smaller than Leo. If Leo landed one powerful blow to his head or spine he would be out of the battle. The second lion, Zhao, was the strongest, but also the slowest. Leo would have no trouble outflanking him, but he would have to watch out for his teeth and claws. Lastly was Jian, the ringleader. He was likely the smartest of the three. Leo decided to battle them one at a time. {Get them dispatched as quickly as possible. Then join Shifu against Tai Lung.} That was Leo's plan. He would fight offensively for one, defensively for the others.

So Leo leapt at Jiyu and grabbed the scruff of his mane. The smaller lion howled and slashed Leo's arm. The two other lions did not just stand by, either. Zhao leapt at Leo and bit at his ear, while Jian slashed violently at his shoulder.

Leo roared in pain, and leapt backwards. He roared a warning to the trio of lions. They did not fight in a Kung Fu style. They fought dirty! Jiyu charged at Leo, but the larger lion planted one foot and kneed the smaller lion in the chin, causing him to stagger and fall to the ground, holding his jaw and writhing in pain. His jaw was probably broken, and he would not be reentering the battle.

Next was Zhao. The larger lion crouched and leapt at Leo. Leo's arms shot up to defend himself, and the charging lion collided with him. Leo landed a quick jab cross into his stomach, and his opponent gasped. Leo winced when he felt pain in his shoulder from where Jian had clawed him. He would have to be careful. Leo then roundhouse kicked the larger lion on his temple. He flew to the side and landed on the ground near Jiyu.

Leo only had one opponent left- Jian. The older lion circled Leo, snarling. Leo narrowed his eyes and lashed his tail. Jian chuckled and growled at him, "You really think you can save your family? Tai Lung is righting his wrong, and I can almost hear him killing Shifu right now. I wonder if it will be as easy to kill you as it was-"

"Be quiet and fight!" Leo roared. He did not want to hear him talk. Leo had to finish this fight and help Shifu!

Jian smirked and charged at him, and Leo did the same. The two lions met in combat. Jian shot out his front paws, trying to slash at Leo's face. The younger lion leaned back and landed a sturdy punch in Jian's face. Jian staggered backwards, and Leo wasted no time leaping at his stomach. Both of the lions fell to the ground, with Jian on his back and Leo on top of him, his paw clenched in a fist.

Jian growled at him and lashed out, trying to claw Leo's muzzle. Leo leaned back to avoid the attack, and raked his claws across Jian's face. Jian howled in pain, his paws flying up to his face. Blood poured from his wounds.

Leo quickly got up off of his opponent, glaring at him. Jian writhed on the ground, his paws now red, while Zhao and Jiyu watched in shock not too far away. Leo roared loudly at the three lions. Jiyu tucked his tail near him and Zhao glanced at the ground submissively.

"Get out! I never want to see you here again!"

Zhao and Jiyu nodded and turned tail. The two lions wasted no time and retreated. Zhao was slightly bigger and slower than Jiyu, but they both matched paced and kept up with each both hared down the steps, throwing open the gates and dashing out of the Palace grounds. Leo knew that they would not return.

However, Jian remained, clutching his muzzle with one paw and propping himself up with the paw. The ground around him was stained red. Leo had really done a number on his face. Leo's eyes narrowed dangerously. The lion master snarled loudly, "I said get out. If you return, I will not be as merciful!"

Jian glared at him through his bloodied face. Four dark red scratch marks lined his face, running diagonally from one ear to the other side of his muzzle. He heaved himself to his feet, then growled at Leo,

"I will come back some day. I will get my revenge on you, and I will not be as easy to beat." With that, the last of Leo's opponent fled.

Leo held his paw to his shoulder and winced. He was bleeding from his shoulder. Leo winced and sighed shakily before running as quickly as his injured shoulder allowed. He had to get to Shifu before Tai Lung killed him.

When the lion got the the Hall, Leo saw that the doors had been destroyed. He looked into the bulding and saw that Tai Lung had Shifu pinned the ground- with Oogway's staff! Shifu was trying to push against Tai Lung, but he was not nearly as powerful as the leopard. Tai Lung used the fork in the staff to push against Shifu's neck. The red panda desperately was trying to hold the snow leopard back, but the he gasped for air as Tai Lung pushed him against the ground.

Oogway's staff broke with a loud snap! and Tai Lung staggered forward, casting both of the broken pieces of wood to the side. Shifu had a look of devastation on his face, and peach blossoms blew near the broken staff. Almost as if Oogway had seen Tai Lung break his staff.

Shifu's eyes widened when Tai Lung charged at him. But, before Shifu could defend himself, Leo crashed into the snow leopard. Tai Lung roared in surprise, and the two cats exchanged quick claw swipes before standing on all fours across from each other. Tai Lung growled as Leo placed himself in front of Shifu,

"Well, well, well, Leo Lung. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to get the chance to battle with you. However, I am not surprised you joined us so quickly. Jian's crew was weak, and I am excited to battle you." He smirked evilly.

"If only the circumstances were better." Leo sighed, falling into a sparring stance.

Tai Lung chuckled and flew at Leo Lung with a roar to shake the ground. Leo crouched and shot his foot out, landing a solid kick in Tai Lung's torso. The snow leopard hissed and struck Leo in the shoulder with a palm strike. Leo howled, as it was the same shoulder that Jian had slashed earlier.

Leo involuntarily grabbed his shoulder in pain, and Tai Lung wasted no time delivering a roundhouse kick to Leo's head, causing him to collapse to the ground with a grunt. Tai Lung unsheathed his claws and lunged at Leo Lung, ready to deliver a powerful blow, but he was suddenly knocked to the side. Shifu had kicked Tai Lung in the side. Shifu landed near Leo Lung and looked at him, worried,

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly. Shifu did not know what happened to the lion outside. He must've beat those other lions, considering he was here in one piece and the other lions were nowhere to be seen.

Leo grunted in response and heaved himself to his feet. Tai Lung examined both of his enemies. Leo was bleeding from his shoulder , and Shifu was slightly winded but ready to fight. This was not the first time Tai had faced multiple opponents, but it may be the hardest. He decided to go for the weaker opponent first.

Tai Lung roared and charged at Leo Lung, his claws scratching against the floor. Leo hissed and sidestepped, using his good shoulder to knife hand Tai Lung in the spine. The leopard hissed and slammed his shoulder into Leo, pushing him backwards. Leo Lung stumbled back, but otherwise remained on his feet. He crouched and leapt forward, delivering a front kick to Tai Lung's chest.

Shifu also leapt into action, leaping and kicking off of Tai's back to get his attention. Tai Lung turned, his ears pinned to his head in rage. Before Leo could stop him, Tai Lung reared one of his paws back, before shooting it forward and striking the red panda in the chest. Shifu flew backward and hit a nearby column. A winded cry came from the red panda.

Leo's eyes widened as Shifu slumped to the ground. For a fraction of a second, Leo thought he was dead. But relief flooded through his body when he saw the rising and falling of the red panda's flank. Tai Lung rushed towards Shifu, eager to finish him off, but something painful held him back. He growled and turned to see that Leo had dug his claws into his flank, keeping him from attacking Shifu. Tai Lung lunged at Leo and snapped his jaws mere centimeters from Leo's nose.

Leo lurched backward, his claws still embedded into Tai Lung's fur. The snow leopard hissed in pain, wrenching himself free. Tai Lung growled loudly. The leopard lunged at Leo, his claws outstretched. But, instead of fighting back or defending himself, Leo retreated. He climbed up the nearest column. Tai Lung, growling, followed him. Leo leapt from one column to the next, Tai Lung close behind.

Running out of columns to jump onto, and his brother close on his tail, Leo eyed the rafters of the building. That was his only chance. Either that, or turn and face his rage-induced brother, and that plan had already gone so well. The lion leapt upward, grabbing the large wooden beams and turning to face Tai. The leopard looked at him and flew towards him with a roar.

The two brothers crashed through the rooftop and into the air. Lightning crackled as Tai Lung's claws sliced through the air like a sword. Leo countered with a roundhouse kick to the leopard's head. As the two began falling back towards the Jade Palace, Leo kicked Tai Lung in his wide chest and grabbed him by the shoulders, maneuvering his brother so that he was below him, he would crash into the building and break Leo's fall. The two brothers glared at each other, their fangs bared. The Jade Palace was approaching quickly.

But the snow leopard wasn't stupid. Tai Lung thrashed in Leo's grip, reaching up and slashing his claws across Leo's face, narrowly missing his eyes. Leo's grip weakened and the two brothers wrestled in midair. The wound on his shoulder was bleeding, and desperation grew inside Leo as the Jade Palace neared. If he did not have Tai Lung on bottom when they crashed through the building, Leo would be terribly injured and Tai Lung would have the advantage.

Leo slashed Tai on his flank and tried to grab him in a chokehold. He would not be able to escape that. But putting someone, especially someone as powerful as Tai Lung, required two good arms to do. Leo used his uninjured arm to wrap around the leopard's neck and his injured arm to hold it in place. But Tai used his elbow and hit the lion right in his jaw. Leo cried out as he felt pain radiate from his jaw. Tai Lung then twisted around, flipping himself over so that Leo was on bottom. Tai Lung placed one of his large paw right underneath Leo's chin, and the other paw grabbed his bleeding shoulder. His claws dug in, causing the lion to roar in pain.

The two animals crashed through the roof of the building. Leo felt the hard metal of the roof, then the splinters of wood dig into his back. Then, Tai Lung leapt off of him, landing on a nearby column, and shoved him to the ground.

The hard marble floor was unforgiving. Leo landed on his back. The lion swore that he saw stars. Pain radiated throughout his body. Leo had to gasp for each breath.

Leo propped himself onto his knees and watched as Tai Lung slid to the ground below. His claws scraped against a brazier filled with fire, and he knocked it to the ground. Blue fire filled the ground, and Tai Lung's arms became aflame. Shifu, who had regained consciousness but in too much pain to fight, could only watch in horror as Tai Lung roared, leaping at Leo with claws of fire.

"Whatever I did, I did because I cared!" Tai Lung roared, striking Leo in the side. The lion growled in pain, and tried to counterattack with a punch to the gut, but Tai Lung was not phased,

"Show me how much you care for me, Leo Lung!" Tai Lung bellowed, hitting Leo across the muzzle with his flaming blue claws. Leo did not try to counterattack anymore. Tai Lung hit him again, and Leo howled, and tried to back away from Tai Lung. But for every step back Leo took, Tai advanced forward two more steps.

"Show me, Leo!" Tai Lung gave Leo a strong punch to the gut, and Leo gasped, and cried out, but Tai Lung did not stop the assault of attacks, "Show meeee!" Tai Lung roared, rearing his paws back and slamming them into Leo's head.

The lion was sent flying across the room. He tumbled painfully across the floor and landed on the steps of the reflecting pool. Leo's head felt like it was being crushed. His shoulder felt like it was on fire, and he gasped for air, his chest heaving.

Shifu tried to move towards Leo to help him, but his legs felt like they weighed as much as an elephant. He would not be able to get their in time. He held out his hand desperately, and watched in terror as Tai Lung approached Leo.

"I always cared for you, Tai." Leo said weakly, holding onto the ground for dear life, "It hurt me so much to see you locked away, and it hurt me even more to see you in chains." Leo stopped to breath. Breathing was so hard. Leo continued,

"If I could have gotten you out of there I would." Leo Lung looked at his brother, his eyes full of pain and sadness, "I loved you, and I still do. I am so sorry."

Tai Lung stopped, his eyes widening. The two brothers locked eyes. He breathed in deeply. Near the middle of the hallway, Shifu was watching, tears slowly falling down his face. Leo had poured his heart out for his brother. Would Tai Lung accept his apology?

But the leopard's heart was hardened. Tai Lung growled and grabbed Leo by his head. Leo cried out in pain as Tai Lung's claws dug into his skull, "I don't want your apology or your love, Leo. I want my scroll!"

Tai Lung pointed upwards towards where the scroll was once placed. He looked up there, for emphasis, but what he saw shocked him. The scroll was not there!

"What...?" He breathed, his eyes widening in utter disbelief.

"Where is it?!" Tai Lung roared. He raised Leo's head up and slammed it into the marble floor. An audible crack was heard, and Leo flinched violently. It felt like an explosion had happened inside his head. Stars danced in the lion's vision. Blood began staining the marble floor, and he began to breathe heavily,

"Po has...taken the scroll halfway across China." Leo winced as Tai Lung growled, "You will never have it, Tai..." Leo grimaced as Tai Lung's claws dug further into his head, "Never..Tai.."

"Leo!" Shifu shouted, he began weakly crawling over to the two cats.

"HEY!" Another voice interrupted. Tai Lung and Shifu both turned to see who it was. Leo simply stared ahead, his eyes half-lidded. He slowly looked over to the door.

It was Po! Brilliant, golden light shined behind him. However, the panda was out of breath. Po was breathing heavily, "Stairs.." He said, holding his chest and he panted.

"Who are you?" Tai Lung asked, looking at Po. His claws still dug into Leo's head. The lion winced and felt a growing sense of defeat growing inside him. Po was supposed to have evacuated with the village, keeping the villagers safe. Yet, here he was, practically giving Tai Lung the exact thing that Leo and Shifu had fought so hard to keep out of his grasp.

"Buddy, I am the Dragon Warrior!" Po said, straightening himself up and trying to control his breathing.

"You?" Tai Lung asked, disbelief lacing his voice. He looked at Leo, who had his eyes closed and his mouth hanging open slightly, "He's a panda!" Tai Lung threw Leo to the ground. The lion did not even flinch. Tai Lung looked at Po, "You're a panda! What're going to do, big fella? Sit on me?" Tai Lung taunted, smirking. His confidence was through the broken roof.

"Oh, don't tempt me." Po said, regaining control of his breathing. The panda looked at Tai Lung, "Now, I am going to use..." Po reached behind him, "..this!" He pulled out the Dragon Scroll.

Tai Lung rushed over and slammed his paws into Po, causing him to fly backwards and hit a nearby pole. Before the canister even hit the ground, Tai Lung grabbed it, "Finally!" He exclaimed.

Suddenly Po flew back at him! Po slammed his large self into Tai Lung, causing Tai Lung to fly back into the Hall. Tai looked up in disbelief. Po, his confidence growing, shouted, and fell into a sparing stance. Tai Lung fell onto all fours and charged at Po. The two warriors began to battle, taking it outside and into the Valley.

Shifu sighed as he watched Po and Tai Lung begin to battle. He crawled over to Leo, who was laying on his side and breathing heavily. His face, mane, and shoulders were stained red, as was the floor beneath him.

Shifu carefully placed his small paws on Leo's mane. Leo twitched and slowly open his eyes, gazing weakly at Shifu.

"I'm so sorry. It should be me on that floor instead of you. This never should have happened." Shifu sobbed, weakly petting Leo's mane as he looked at his dying student. He felt despair rising in him.

"No...parent should..." Leo wheezed. Shifu stopped, pricking his ears as he tried to listen to what Leo had to say, "..be sorry for..." Shifu blinked, his mind racing. It seemed everything was slowing down, and his mind was speeding up. Leo spoke, "..loving..their..child." He finished. Shifu pursed his lips together and blinked back his tears. He shook his head and clutched Leo's mane.

Leo did not feel any pain. Not anymore. As he lay on his side, the pain had faded away. Shifu was holding onto his mane. Leo could feel his breathing slow. Shifu felt this, and spoke,

"Leo! Please no! Gods, please don't leave me!" He cried. Shifu held onto Leo's mane like it was the only thing keeping him alive. In his peripheral, Leo saw Shifu was now freely crying.

The lion smiled, and closed his eyes. Leo inhaled deeply. A sudden figure emerged from the darkness. It was Master Oogway. He had a beautiful golden staff and a green cape that covered his large shell. Oogway smiled and placed his clawed hand on Leo's shoulder, "Hello Leo Lung."

"Master Oogway...I've missed you so much."


	33. The Spirit Realm

Everyone always wants to know what happens after you die. Some people say that you come back, as something else, something new. Almost like a second chance at life. Some people say you go some place amazing, infinitely better than the mortal realm. Others say that you become one with the Earth, and have a chance to blossom into a beautiful tree or flower.

Leo Lung, the Kung Fu Master, had never listened to such talk. He was not afraid of what would come when Death appeared to him. He had always assumed that he had plenty of time left.

But now here he was. He was in the Hall of Sacred Warriors, laying in a pool of his own blood. Shifu clung to his mane, pleading with him not to die. Leo purred lightly, and his breathing slowed.

Darkness encompassed Leo's vision, and pain began to fade away. He did not fear Death, but he was certainly curious as to know what came next.

However, what the lion did not expect was the vast amount of nothingness. Leo did not hear or see anything. He could not hear the painful sobbing of his master, Master Shifu. He could not see the Hall of Sacred Warriors, or the red panda bent over him, begging for him to stay. Leo could not feel the pain erupting in his brain when his brother, Tai Lung, had smashed his head into the marble floor. There was no smell of metallic-smelling blood flowing from his head or beads of sweat from the battle against his treacherous brother and his followers, the trio of lions.

There was just nothing.

Leo could not move, speak, breathe or do anything. It was as if all he was was a brain, and he had no body to control. All he could do was think.

But that all changed when a figure emerged from the darkness. Leo squinted, but his vision was incredibly hazy.

However, as the figure drew closer, his vision cleared and Leo felt awe and wonder fill whatever body he had left. Master Oogway laid a clawed, weathered hand on his shoulder, and Leo realized he was still on his side, in the same position he had died in. The tortoise was wearing a green caped cloak across his shell, and a golden staff held in his free hand.

"Hello, Leo Lung." Master Oogway said, kindly.

Leo Lung's mind blanked as he stared at the Grandmaster. Oogway was here. He was here. It was like the tortoise was alive again, as if he had never died. The tortoise had a pleasant grin on his small face as he gazed at the lion.

"Master Oogway." Leo said, very softly. Leo let a small smile crease his muzzle. Oogway nodded softly, and Leo spoke again, "I've missed you so much."

The world began to fade into color. Everything was blurry and hazy, but Leo could recognize the blue and green colors around him. Leo tried to heave himself to his feet, but his whole body felt odd. Not really numb, but it felt...tingly. The feeling was similar as to when your leg or arm would fall asleep

"Master..what happened?" Leo asked quietly. He could remember the fight with Jian, Jiyu and Zhao. Then he went to fight Tai Lung. The two had fought, until Tai Lung slammed Leo against the floor. An excruciating pain had erupted in Leo's head. Then Po had arrived and began to battle with his brother. Shifu had comforted Leo, until the world faded into nothingness.

And now here he was. Leo gazed around at his surroundings. He was laying on his side, and he appeared to be on an island of some sort. Above him stretched a beautiful peach tree that resembled the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Delicate pink petals lined the twisting branches. Startlingly clear water surrounded the island, stretching on for what seemed like forever.

In the distance, Leo Lung could make out large, vague rocks. Were they mountains? As Leo's eyes scanned the environment, he noticed that everything was either gold or green washed. It was almost like the two colors were clashing, fighting for dominance of the Spirit realm.

"Have I died?" The lion asked, propping himself up so he could look Oogway in the eyes.

"Your body has, but your soul is here now." Oogway said, a smile on his face.

"What about Shifu? Is he-"

"Shifu lives." Oogway stated, turning and looking into the water, presumably at his own reflection. Or, maybe, at the quick, colorful fish that darted to and fro in it.

Leo began to gather his muscles and heaved himself to his feet. Oogway watched, a soft smile beginning to form on his face. However, Leo's feet were heavy and he stumbled. His arm shot out and he grabbed the peach tree for support. The lion dug his claws into the bark and pulled himself to stand upright.

The Lion Master looked at Oogway, and tried to walk towards him, "What will Shifu do? And Po? How could they fare without me?" Leo despaired.

As much as Leo hated to say it, he did not want to stay here. He wanted to go home. Shifu would be devastated without his son. Po would lose a valued mentor. And Tigress.. Guilt and sadness tugged at Leo's heartstrings as he thought of the tiger running to the Jade Palace and finding her older brother beaten and broken. Her heart would shatter when she saw him lying on the ground.

"Your emotions are easy to read, Leo." Oogway said, beckoning Leo to come to the water, "You miss your family."

"I..I just don't know what they will do with me being..you know..dead." Leo stood on the bank of the water and looked into it.

A great lion stared back at him. That lion had light golden fur. He had soft, golden eyes, with fleck of brown in them, and circular, dark pupils in the center. A brown nose lay at the end of the lion's muzzle, and long whiskers emerged from the sides of it's muzzle. The lion sported a full, brown mane with hints of black at the tips. The lion had ears that pushed through it's mane.

What Leo did not see, however, was blood. The lion that stared back at him had beautiful, flawless fur. There were no injuries. No scars from all those years of fending off bandits and rogues. There were no slashes on his shoulder and no blood seeping from his head.

"See anyone you know?" Oogway asked, blinking slowly.

"It's..me." Leo said. The tortoise looked away from his own reflection and gazed at Leo's reflection. Oogway chuckled,

"I see a strong warrior, who loves his family very much. Even though he is gone, he holds his family and friends to the highest honor." The Grandmaster said, looking at Leo with respect. The lion smiled, and he returned his gaze to Oogway,

"What do you see in your own reflection, Master?"

"Me?" Oogway looked into the water, then back at Leo, "I see an old tortoise."

Leo grinned and laughed. Even though Oogway was quite old, he never seemed to have lost his sense of humor. He always knew when to be serious and when to be funny. His tail flicked and his eyes glistened. This was the first time he felt happy since arriving here in this place.

It was at that moment when a wave of pure, unadulterated fear swept through Leo's body. His eyes widened and his fur prickled. His mane stood on end and his tail curled in fear.

A gale of wind began to pick up and golden light began washing the area. Leo looked around and saw that Oogway was remaining as calm as ever. Leo shuddered and looked at Oogway,

"What's going on?!" He demanded, feeling the golden wind blow around the peach tree near the center of the island.

It was at that moment a figure collapsed in the center of the island, right underneath the tree. It was right where Leo had landed when he arrived. The golden light began to fade, and Leo's eyes widened at the sight before him.

It was Tai Lung. He had arrived.

.

In the Valley of Peace

.

The villagers gathered in the Valley, gazing in awe and wonder at something hidden in the dust before them. The battle with the leopard was complete. The victory was won and the day was saved.

"Look!" A pig cried out, "The Dragon Warrior!" The villagers strained to see.

A silhouette formed in the dust. A wok and cape were placed on the figures head and neck. It looked like a great warrior was emerging from the dust.

But it was something greater than a warrior. It was Po. Po, the Dragon Warrior. And he had not a hat and cape. It was simply an apron and pan that he had collected during the arduous battle against Tai Lung. The panda coughed out dust, and smiled weakly at the villagers he had saved.

The villagers, seeing their savior, cheered. Po beamed, happy to become the warrior he always wanted to be. Several of the pigs tried to lift up the panda so the village could see him in all his glory, but, despite his hard work and training, he was still a heavy panda. They gave up, and simply patted him on the back and stomach as congratulations.

Mr. Ping, Po's adopted father, burst through the crowd, his pride and happiness was almost tangible, "That Kung Fu Warrior is my son!" He exclaimed proudly. The villagers, hearing this, cheered and applauded happily. Po ran to his father, engulfing the small goose in a great hug. As he embraced his father, the wok fell off of Po's head.

The pan rolled towards a pig, but it was stopped suddenly. The pig looked down in surprise, seeing a small green insect by her feet.

It was Master Mantis. He and the rest of the Furious Five had also returned to the village. Po, seeing them, stood up and greeted them,

"Hey guys." He smiled. Tigress silently approached him, her tail slightly curled. Po looked at her, and the tiger placed her hands together in a salute,

"Master." She said, simply. Tigress bowed her head in respect.

"Master." The entire village repeated to Po. Po felt like he was about to burst with joy. He was a master! Just like-

"Master Leo!" Po gasped loudly. He quickly dismissed himself and ran as fast as he could, which was not too fast, up the palace stairs.

.

.

As Po neared the top, he saw a large hole in the staircase where the battle had begun. Nearby, blood stained the staircase where Leo had fought the three lions. entered the Palace and arrived at the broken doorway. He ran inside, huffing for breath. He slowed near the steps of the pool, and his eyes widened.

What he saw, he would never forget. Master Leo Lung, the Lion Master and one of the most powerful Kung Fu Warriors in China, lay sprawled across the top of the stairs. Dried blood caked his fur. Horrible scars slashed his arms, shoulders, and face. Parts of his mane and fur were singed and even burned off from where Tai Lung had attacked him with the blue fire. His mouth was slightly open, and a tiny stream of dried blood lead from his mouth to the marble floor, which was stained red.

Master Shifu was curled into his mane, holding on tight. He had stopped crying, but his cheeks were still wet. His breathing was soft and slow. The red panda had cried himself to sleep.

"Master Shifu..?" Po asked, "What happened? Is Master Leo ok?" He asked softly, his eyes wide at the sight of the lion on the ground.

The red panda flinched at the sound of his name, and his eyes shot open. He glanced at Po, and gently let go of Leo's mane.

"Leo.." Shifu said quietly, his voice hoarse, "He died trying to stop Tai Lung."

"Oh NO!" Po cried out, falling to his knees and taking Leo's head in his hands, "Master Leo! Don't die! Come on!" He tried to wake the lion, but to no avail. Po tried to shake him awake, but the master's eyes remained close, "Come on, Master Leo! Wake up, please! Don't do this!" Po pleaded, his eyes becoming blurry with tears.

Shifu felt his throat tighten as he watched Po hold the broken lion's body in his arms. He winced, trying to keep the tears away. Shifu placed on of his paws on Po's larger paw, causing the panda to stop, "Po."

The panda looked at Shifu, the sadness and disbelief obvious on his large face. Po gently ran his paw through Leo's mane, and spoke softly,

"Did I even get to say goodbye to him?"


	34. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One final showdown between Tai Lung and Leo Lung

In the Spirit Realm, the atmosphere was oddly calm, especially considering the circumstances. Everything was gold or green tinted. Large mountain-like formations loomed in the distance. Water rippled, some unknown source causing unease in the water. A small island rolled out of the water.

The island was called The Hill of Creation of Souls. Whenever a Kung Fu Master passed away, whether it be by natural causes or at the hand of another animal, their soul arrived on the island. It was kind of like the Center of the Spirit Realm's Universe.

The Hill of Creation of Souls was not a large island, however. A large peach tree jutted out from the island. Beautiful pink petals dotted the tree branches, and the bark of the tree was dark. Three figures stood on the island.

One of the figures was Kung Fu Grandmaster Oogway the Wise. He was a galapagos tortoise, with a small head and a large shell. He wore a green cloak and carried a golden metal yingyang staff. He was one of the most powerful masters in the Spirit Realm, if not the most powerful.

Standing right beside Oogway was Master Leo Lung, the Lion Master. He was a large asian lion with a full, brown mane and light golden fur coat. He was a strong warrior who commonly went by 'Leo'. Leo wore simply a pair of emerald green pants. It was the outfit he was killed in.

The final figure, standing opposite of Leo and Oogway, was Tai Lung. He was the adopted brother of Leo. Tai Lung was a snow leopard, with a wide head, broad shoulders and a long tail. He was just as powerful as his brother. He did not wear a shirt or vest. He simply wore a large brown belt and purple pants. It was the outfit he was defeated in.

Now, the three figures stood staring at each other. Tai Lung glared at Oogway and Leo Lung. Oogway glanced slowly from Leo to Tai Lung, and Leo's wide, golden eyes shifted between Master Oogway and his brother.

The tension was so thick that even a dull blade could cut through it like butter. The silence was deafening, as loud as cannonfire. However, no animal dared break the silence. The two large cats were tense, waiting for the other to make a move. Oogway stood silent. Even he, the founder of Kung Fu, was unwilling to spark a flame that could possibly rage for centuries.

After what seemed like hours in the quietness, Tai Lung broke the silence. He turned to Leo Lung and addressed him,

"What are you doing here?" He growled. The snow leopards muscles twitched underneath his skin.

His dark amber eyes bored into Leo's. The asian lion felt the need to shift under his brother's ruthless gaze, but he remained strong. Leo lifted his chin and, forcing his fur to lay flat and his voice to remain steady, he spoke, "In your deranged, mad grab for the Dragon Scroll, it seems that you killed me."

"I'm not deranged!" Tai Lung immediately retaliated, his fur spiking and his tail lashing.

Leo Lung rolled his eyes, his lips twitching as he spoke, "Oh, please. You almost crippled Shifu again, you broke Oogway's wooden staff, and you defaced countless artifacts in the Hall of Warriors."

"That scroll was mine!" The snow leopard hissed. His claws unsheathed and he leapt at his brother. Leo snarled and sidestepped, and spat out another insult to his brother,

"You idiot! Why can't you just accept your fate like a normal animal? None of this would have happened if you had just accepted your fate instead of acting like a crazed madman!" Leo spat. Tai Lung's ears pinned to his head and he lunged at Leo.

In the mortal realm, the two cats were already injured and winded from previous battle, Leo from the lion trio and Tai from Shifu. But now they were replenished and healthy. They did not have scars or wounds to hold them back.

Oogway did not move to stop the two brothers from battling. He knew that the Universe had destined for this to happen. The two brothers would meet in combat, and and shake the world to it's core.The tortoise stepped back, gazing sorrowfully at the ground. He remembered when he first laid his old eyes on the two boys. They were only months old, as pure at the first winter snow.

His heart cracked at the thought of the two brothers killing each other.

Leo, usually the pacifist, was ready to fight. Leo did not know what happened after he died. Tai Lung could have slaughtered more innocent villagers. If he defeated Tai Lung, he would avenge himself and everyone else who fell to the snow leopard. The lion unsheathed his claws and slashed Tai Lung across his wide cheek. The snow leopard collapsed on his side.

Leo fell on all fours and snarled. It was a challenge: Fight me, now. Tai Lung quickly got back on his feet, answering Leo's dare. But instead of standing on his feet, he remained on all four paws, his eyes glaring at Leo.

The two big cats circled each other. Tai Lung opened his mouth and roared at Leo. It resonated, traveling miles. The sound echoed off of nearby mountains, alerting all beings in the Spirit Realm of the snow leopard's wrath.

Leo narrowed his eyes. He bunched his muscles and returned the roar right back to Tai Lung. It was deep, powerful, and almost had a wild tone to it. His mane prickled, and his muzzle curled in pure spite.

Tai Lung and Leo Lung faced each other. Leo bunched his muscles, and braced for the battle. Oogway lowered his head sadly. As much as he hated to see this, the two warriors were destined to meet in battle.

The two cats leapt at each other. They collided, their claws slashing. Leo, who was bigger than his brother, reared backwards and lunged at Tai, his paws outstretched. Tai Lung recoiled and copied Leo's stance, his lips curled in a snarl.

The lion roared and charged. Tai Lung growled and grabbed Leo's shoulders, trying to push him backwards. Leo hissed as Tai Lung's claws dug into his skin. Leo pushed against the snow leopards shoulders in return.

The felines pushed against each other, glaring at the other. Tai Lung was defending whatever scrap of dignity he had left, and Leo was looking to avenge his own life. Both had valid reasons for wanting to win over their brother.

Tai dug his claws downward, into Leo's tense shoulders. Leo howled in pain as Tai Lung swung him around and threw him away. Leo collided with the peach tree, and his head banged against the bark of the tree. Leo blinked his eyes, focusing his vision just in time to see Tai Lung lunge at him, and wrap his large paw around Leo's mane, trying to put him into a choke hold.

Thinking quickly, Leo Lung used his elbows and broke the leopard's grip. Leo leapt onto his feet and kicked his leg out, landing a solid blow to Tai's chest. The leopard fell backwards, landing on his back. He gasped, as Leo had knocked the air out of his lungs.

Leo, all rational thought thrown out the window, lunged at Tai with a snarl and pinned him to the ground. Tai struggled underneath him, his tail lashing, but Leo bared his fangs in a deadly growl,

"This is for Shifu, and for me." Leo reared his head back, about to clamp his jaws in a vice-like grip around Tai's throat, but, instead of feeling the fur and flesh of the snow leopard, he felt...metal.

Everything went quiet.

Leo's eyes flew open, and he saw a golden staff. Leo, instead of biting Tai Lung's throat, had bitten Master Oogway's staff. The tortoise had realized that, without anyone to stop him, Leo would have killed Tai Lung. So he had decided to step in.

"Leo Lung.." Oogway said quietly, a hint of disappointment in his voice, "you know better than to use your teeth in combat."

Leo stared at the tortoise in surprise. His eyes went from the tortoise to his brother. Tai Lung was staring at him. His eyes were as wide as tea cups. Instead of the fiery anger there minutes before, fear laced the snow leopards eyes. His breathing was ragged. For one of the first times in Tai Lung's life, he was scared. His brothers razor sharp canine teeth brushed against his throat. If Oogway had not stepped in, then he would be dead by now.

Quickly realizing what was going on, Leo clambered off of his brother, sitting on his knees, his eyes wide with shock. Tai Lung propped himself up to a sitting position, breathing heavily. Leo opened his mouth, about to say something, then closed it.

Oogway looked at the two brothers, and spoke, "Leo Lung, do you have anything you want to say to your brother?"

The lion stared at his master, and then to Tai. He thought for what seemed to be hours. In reality, it was only a few minutes. The lion spoke,

"Tai Lung... I..am sorry." He said quietly.

"For what? Insulting me? Trying to kill me in front of Oogway? I don't believe 'sorry' will cut it." The leopard snarled, glaring at his brother.

"I know!" Leo said, a bit of hurt in his voice as he tried to find his words. Leo thought, trying to choose his words carefully. Oogway placed his staff on the ground, his elongated claws clinking against the metal,

"Maybe you should try to make things right, young one." He stated, sagely.

Leo and Tai stared at each other, their eyes both wide. Leo crawled over to Tai so that they were sitting across from one another. Leo Lung's mane felt heavy around his neck as he slowly opened his mouth to speak,

"I want to help you." Leo started, "If you had asked for help I would have given it. You are my brother, Tai. I care about you more than anything. It almost killed me to see you in that horrible prison, with those rhino guards. The amount of guilt that I felt for the next twenty years felt like a mountain on my shoulders."

Tai Lung gazed evenly at Leo, waiting for him to continue. Leo talked slowly, letting the words sink into Tai Lung's head, "I will always be here for you. I will always forgive you. The question is...

will you forgive me?"

Tai Lung looked at his brother. Leo returned the gaze. Now that he looked closely, he could see that Tai Lung's eyes were sunken in and his fur seemed messy. He really had had a rough twenty years in the prison.

The two brothers spent the next few minutes staring sadly at each other. Silence began to overcome the Spirit Realm. The silence was not awkward, however. It was...comfortable. The atmosphere was serene. Calm. Tai Lung's eyes shifted downward as he mulled over his brother's words.

Oogway watched, content in his eyes. This is what the Universe had destined.

A sniffle broke the silence. Tai Lung wiped a single tear from his cheek before it could reach the still-red scratch marks that Leo put there. Tai Lung leaned forward, causing Leo's eyes to widen. The snow leopard extended his arms and wrapped the lion in a hug.

Leo's eyes grew to the size of plates. Tai Lung...was hugging him? Tai Lung never expressed affection, not in his life, and here he was, embracing him. Leo let out a noise that was something of a mix between a gasp and a sob. Leo hugged Tai back.

"I forgive you, Leo."

For the first time in over twenty years, Tai felt something that he had not felt in a long time. Happiness. A large weight seemed to lift itself off of his wide shoulders. He smiled. No, he beamed. The past was behind him. The Dragon Scroll was not his, or Leo's, but that was fine.

"You have learned to forgive, Tai Lung. It seems Leo Lung's time here is finished." Oogway said, a smile on his round head.

The wind picked up, and peach blossoms began to surround the brothers. Tai Lung, realizing what Oogway's words meant, began to panic,

"Leo! No! Don't leave me, please!" Tai Lung begged, clutching Leo in a tight embrace, "We can live here! Train as much as we want!"

But the lion was silent. He hugged the leopard tightly, feeling the petals swirl around him. His body began to feel light.

"Tai Lung, look at me," Leo instructed quietly. The leopard let him go and looked at him. Leo smiled sadly as his body began to fade. He spoke quietly, "We will see each other again soon. One day." The lion quietly assured his brother. The snow leopard sobbed and clutched Leo's mane as the lion faded away in a flurry of petals.

"One day..."

.

.

The Mortal Realm

.

Po and Shifu sat by Leo's body. They had been sitting vigil for just over thirty minutes. Golden and red light shined through the broken doors of the Hall of Warriors. Dusk had arrived.

Po had given up trying to revive the dead lion, and he had simply settled for running his paw through Leo's mane. It was stiff and sticky with blood. Po was tempted to grab a brush and groom the lion's mane.

Shifu had one paw laid on Leo's muzzle, idly rubbing circles into the short fur. Leo's body had already grown cold, and Shifu wanted to desperately warm up the lion. He had no qualms about sitting in the pool of blood, if it meant trying to keep his son warm. Had he ever called Leo his son? The red panda despaired at the thought. Leo had called him 'Father' many times, especially when he was a young cub. But Shifu could not remember if he ever called Leo his child. His throat tightened, and he gritted his teeth.

"Master, what are we going to do now?" Po broke the silence. The panda looked at Shifu sadly. Shifu shut his eyes tightly to try and prevent any tears from falling. Shifu opened his mouth to answer, but he was cut off by a heart-wrenching scream.

Tigress stood in the doorway. Her hands were covering her mouth in pure horror, and her eyes were wide as she surveyed the room. The rest of the Five ran up behind her. Horrified expressions painted their faces as they saw the Lion Master dead on the floor.

"Master Leo!" Viper cried, slithering quickly over to Shifu, Po, and Leo. The rest of the Five quickly followed suit. The five animals gathered around Leo's body, hastily searching for any signs of life.

Tigress' eyes began to water as she held Leo's head in her large paws. She gently began to stroke his bloody mane and touch his crooked whiskers. Tigress spoke softly, "He's dead..He's dead."

The brother that she had looked up to all her life was gone. The lion that had been her favorite mentor, her brother, and her best friend was killed. The lion that had saved her from being kidnapped, encouraged her to form and lead the Five, and taught her that it's ok to be nervous. He was dead.

She cradled Leo's body, and began to sob freely. The other members of the Five, Shifu, and Po watched sorrowfully as Tigress mourned her brother's death. The tiger's face was wet with tears.

As time went on, the sun began to set and the golden-red light of the setting sun turned to pale moonlight. Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis had paid their respects and left for their room. That left only Shifu, Po, and Tigress, the three closest animals to Leo.

The three animals did not say anything. They sat around Leo, gazing sadly at his body, wondering what they could have done to save him. They thought about what he was doing now, and where he was. Was he with Oogway? Was he reborn into someone else's body? Shifu shifted his gaze to the floor as these thoughts ran rampant in his mind.

When midnight neared, Shifu stood up and looked at Po and Tigress. His voice was hoarse when he spoke, "You two should go off to bed. We shall not train tomorrow. We will bury Leo tomorrow, at the Peach Tree, at sunrise."

The two animals nodded in solemn unison. Each of the three animals said farewell to Leo, and they stood to leave. Doctors waited outside to collect the lion's body and prepare it for burial.

However, as Shifu, Tigress, and Po began to leave, the wind picked up. Peach blossoms swirled into the building. Shifu glanced upward, confusion on his face. He remembered the flurry of petals that had carried Oogway up to the heavens. Was this Oogway paying his respects to the fallen lion?

The flower petals swirled around Leo's body. More and more peach petals swirled around the lion's body. There were so many petals that one could not even see Leo. They swirled faster and faster until it was a blur of pink surrounding Leo.

At this point, Shifu, Tigress, and Po knew something was going on, but they did not know what. Was Oogway carrying Leo's body to the heavens? Was he saying goodbye as well? The trio did not know.

Suddenly the wind slowed down. The flower petals fell to the ground, surrounding Leo's body. Shifu stood still, an expectant look on his face. Tigress and Po looked equally confused. What were the petals for?

A heartbeat resounded throughout the building. It was slow, and very quiet. If one did not listen, they could not hear it. Shifu's head cocked to the side. Was that heartbeat-?

Shifu rushed over to the lion, Tigress and Po quick on his tail. Shifu reached Leo's body and held out a tentative paw to the lion's muzzle. Shifu touched Leo's nose.

It was warm.

"My Gods..." Shifu uttered, his eyes impossibly wide.

The lion stirred. His whiskers twitched. His tail flicked. Tigress, Shifu and Po all held their breath. Was Leo coming back to life? Leo slowly groaned and opened his soft, golden eyes.

Shifu felt his cheeks getting wet from tears.

"M-Master..?" Leo croaked, his voice ragged and hoarse. Tigress and Po stood frozen from shock at the sight in front of them. Shifu nodded, tears flowing freely down his face,

"Yes, it's me. I'm here." Shifu said, wrapping his paws around Leo's muzzle in a hug, "I'm here, my child."

Tigress and Po finally came to their senses and hugged the lion from all sides. Leo smiled, returning their embrace.

(Unbeknownst to Leo, Shifu, Tigress, and Po- when Tai Lung hit Leo's head against the marble floor, it had caused a massive hemorrhage in his brain. Leo would not have remembered anything if he came back on his own. So, in the flurry of flower petals, Oogway had healed this injury, so he could remember everything and everyone)

Shifu, though he was as happy as could be, looked at Leo, "What happened to you? Were you alive all this time?"

Leo answered, "It's blurry but," Leo hesitated for a moment, allowing his senses to come back to him, "I saw Master Oogway. I saw Tai Lung, we fought. I don't really remember the details. We made up, I don't even know how, but the next thing I knew, I wake up here, like it was all a bad dream."

"Nevermind the details, I am just happy to have my son home to me." Shifu hugged Leo's muzzle once again.

Leo beamed. Tai Lung was in the Spirit Realm. The two brothers had no bad blood between them. Leo was back in the mortal realm, free to live out his life with Shifu, Tigress, Po, and everyone else. Leo was finally happy.

He was home.


	35. Epilogue

It was a beautiful day in 15th century China. The sun shined bright on the mountains. The sky was a beautiful light blue. Fluffy, white clouds dotted the sky. Tall, steep mountains formed a horizon in the distance. The mountains were mostly green, covered by moss, lichen, and other plants. Some were grey, void of plants.

In the valley of two of those mountains lay a snug little city. The city was called the Valley of Peace, for trouble was not a frequent (or welcome) guest. That was because on one of the mountains lay a palace. It was called the Jade Palace. In that palace lived not royalty or nobility, but Kung Fu Masters!

There were eight masters living in that Palace. Master Shifu, the stubborn red panda, was the leader and head of the Palace. Next was Master Leo Lung, the kind, yet assertive, asian lion. Then there was the Furious Five, led by Master Tigress. It's members included Master Viper, Master Crane, Master Monkey, and Master Mantis. They worked as a team, and played off of each others strengths and weaknesses.

Then there was the newest one. Po the Panda. He was a chubby fellow, and was always eager to learn and grow in the ways of Kung Fu. He was also the Dragon Warrior. He had gained his hard-earned respect after defeating Tai Lung, the snow leopard, three days before.

On top of one of the mountains, just a little ways from the Jade Palace, was the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Recently, when Master Oogway the Wise had passed on, the tree had lost all of it's beautiful pink petals.

But when one thing dies, another thing is born. The tree began sprouting little green shoots, until the entire top half of the tree was almost completely green.

And, sitting peacefully under that tree, was Master Shifu, Master Leo Lung, and Po. They sat on the edge of the cliff, still under the tree. They stared out over the cliff, watching the scenery before them. In their paws, they held bowls for dumplings.

They ate quietly. At first, Po had tried, and ultimately failed, to make small talk. So the three Kung Fu warriors simply sat in silence. The only noise was the wind blowing through the peach tree above them, and the sound of them chewing their dumplings. Po thought this was quiet awkward. He shifted around a bit, before Master Leo had flicked him on the back with his tail. The panda then came to appreciate the silence.

At some point, Po had run out of dumplings in his bowl, having eaten them all. The large panda hummed quietly, showing Master Shifu his empty bowl.

Master Leo Lung saw this and looked at his own bowl. Being a slow eater himself, he still had four dumplings left in his bowl. The lion angled his bowl over Po's, and poured three dumplings into the panda's bowl. Po beamed, and eagerly began eating.

Seeing this, Master Shifu gazed contentedly at Master Leo, who was one of his first students. The red panda nodded, a satisfied smile creasing his small muzzle. Master Leo subtly smiled.

Master Leo shifted and turned to look behind him. About 10 feet behind him, lay a little green sprout. It was a baby peach tree. The lion looked from the sprout to the tree.

A tiny, green sprout can grow into the most beautiful, powerful tree in all of Asia.

How fascinating...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End Scene! Whew, I am so glad to have this finished! I hope everyone enjoyed it! The sequel, The Lion and the Peacock, will be following soon!


End file.
